latest construction job report indicates continued demand

Despite fears of a coming economic downturn, the nation’s construction industry in the last year continued to add jobs.

According to a report just issued by the Associated General Contractors, new construction jobs between March of 2018 and March of this year were recorded in 38 states.

Those numbers were originally compiled by the federal Department of Labor and then analyzed by the Washington-based AGC.

According to those numbers, the big Texas construction industry saw the greatest gains last year with more than 28,300 new jobs. The Lone State was followed by California with 24,500 additional construction jobs; and Florida at 24,100.

That the nation’s three largest states would also lead the country in job gains might not be a total surprise, but the state coming in fourth on the list might: Arizona, the nation’s 14th largest state, which added more than 16,800 new construction jobs in the last year.

In terms of a percentage gain, three states in the West were in the top five, with Nevada showing a 14.2 percent gain, Wyoming a 11.6 percent increase, and Arizona posting a 10.8 percent jump over the previous twelve month period from March of 2017 to March of 2018.

The states recording the largest number of job losses in the last year were scattered across the map: Louisiana shed nearly 8,000 construction jobs, followed by Illinois at 4,700 jobs, and South Carolina, off by 4,400 jobs.

Overall, said AGC chief economist Ken Simonson, the new job numbers show the continued vibrancy of the national construction industry.

But, in a statement, Simonson added that job opportunities posted in February of this year show that “contractors would add even more workers if they could.”

“There is no sign of a let-up in the demand for construction workers,” Simonson added.

By Garry Boulard

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