arizona now number one in terms of construction job growth

The most recent U.S. Labor Department numbers confirm the good news for the Grand Canyon State.

With a 10.2 percent increase between June of 2017 and June of this year, Arizona is now ranked number one nationally in new construction job growth.

The state, with an increase in both public and residential projects, has added 14,800 new construction jobs in the last year, pushing it, percentage-wise, ahead of significantly larger states like California, Texas, and Florida.

The rankings put New Mexico in eleventh place nationally, having added 2,800 new construction jobs from June of 2017 to June 2018 for a 6.2 percent gain; with Colorado holding the seventeenth slot, with 8,400 new jobs, and a 5.2 percent increase.

In terms of actual new jobs, California has added the most nationally with 39,800 in the last year; followed by Florida with 29,300; and Georgia with 16,100.

Overall, the vast majority of states have seen jumps in construction employment, but Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Carolina actually experienced industry job losses. In this category, South Carolina led the way with a 3.9 percent decline in construction employment.

Overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Current Employment Statistics Highlights, nonfarm employment nationally increased by 213,000 in June.

The document adds: “Professional and business services, manufacturing, and health care added jobs, while employment in retail trade declined.”

The BLS report also notes that “Construction employment continued an upward trend in June, with modest changes among the component industries. Employment changes in June follow a 6.7 percent rise in new home sales in May.”

By Garry Boulard