US construction employment grew in 255, or 71 percent, out of 358 metro areas between July 2018 and July 2019, declined in 56 and was unchanged in 47, according to a new analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. metro area added the most construction jobs during the past year (12,100 jobs, 8 percent), while the largest percentage gain occurred in Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash. (23 percent, 3,500 jobs).
The largest job losses between July 2018 and July 2019 occurred in Baton Rouge, La. (-4,900 jobs, -9 percent), while the largest percentage decrease took place in Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. (-10 percent, -200 jobs).
According to the AGC, one of the biggest challenges facing many construction firms is the lack of available, qualified workers to hire. An AGC member survey found that 45 percent of respondents give a rating of “poor” to the adequacy of the local pipeline for supplying craft personnel who are well trained or skilled.
Association officials said that part of the problem is that the nation’s higher education system does not place career and technical education on an equal footing with traditional college education. For example, federal Pell grants cannot be used for construction-focused training programs offered by community and technical colleges. Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer, called on Congress and the administration to pass the bipartisan JOBS Act, which would remedy this Pell grant problem.
“It’s high time to end the federal funding bias against career and technical education and provide students interested in vocational education with the same opportunities available to students attending four-year colleges,” Sandherr said. “Leveling this playing field will help introduce more young adults to the many high-paying opportunities throughout the construction industry.”