nation's metro areas still seeing construction growth, says survey

The nation’s major metropolitan areas are continuing to post increases in construction industry employment, according to a new survey just released by the Washington-based Association of General Contractors of America.

According to that survey, some 265 out of the country’s largest 358 metro areas reported construction job growth in the last year, between November of 2017 and November 2018.

Only in 45 of those 358 areas was there a reported decline in construction jobs. 

Despite the strong numbers, the AGC is warning that there may be a lessening of new hiring due to the simple fact that employers are having a difficult time finding qualified workers for specific projects.

In a statement, Ken Simonson, chief economist with the AGC, said, “Construction employment growth remains widespread, but as unemployment hits historic lows in many metros, contractors are having ever-increasing difficulty filling positions.”

This may put the industry in the unique position of not hiring significant numbers of new workers during a time when project growth remains strong.

On the top ten metro areas listed in the survey showing the most construction job growth in the last year is the Phoenix-Mesa Scottsdale area where construction employment is up from 117,800 in November of 2017 to 135,300 last November, a 15 percent increase.

The combined Prescott and Tucson area saw a 9 percent increase in their construction employment; while Lake Havasu City and Kingman was up by 7 percent.

In Colorado, the Colorado Springs metro area recorded a construction job increase of 7 percent, followed by the combined Fort Collins and Greeley metro area, which was up by 6 percent.

By Garry Boulard

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