Construction Employment Increases In 226 Of 358 Metro Areas

Dec 14, 2023

According to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America, construction employment was up in 226 of 358 metro locations between October 2022 and October 2023.

Despite the good news, Association officials noted the tight labor market conditions prevented construction employment from increasing their hiring in additional metropolitan areas.

“Construction employment keeps growing in a solid majority of metro areas, but many more would be in the plus column if contractors could find qualified workers,” said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. “With construction unemployment hovering around 4 percent, it’s clear there aren’t enough jobseekers available to fill all the openings.”

The top five areas for growth in October:

  1. New York City (14,600 jobs, 10 percent)
  2. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (11,000 jobs, 7 percent)
  3. Baton Rouge, La. (9,400 jobs, 20 percent)
  4. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. (8,300 jobs, 10 percent)
  5. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. (7,800 jobs, 10 percent)

The most significant percentage gains in October were in the following areas:

  1. Baton Rouge, La.
  2. Lexington-Fayette, Ky. (13 percent, 1,800 jobs)
  3. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich. (13 percent, 3,700 jobs)
  4. Corvallis, Ore. (13 percent, 200 jobs)
  5. Toledo, Ohio (12 percent, 1,700 jobs)

Construction employment decreased during the 12-month frame in 54 metros (15 percent) and did not change in 78 other areas.

Top four areas for significant job in October:

  1. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (-11,500 jobs, -5 percent)
  2. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. (-5,300 jobs, -5 percent)
  3. Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y. (-4,500 jobs, -9 percent)
  4. Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. (-4,500 jobs, -5 percent)

Areas that saw the most significant percentage decrease were:

  1. Kankakee, Ill. (-13 percent, -200 jobs)
  2. Bay City, Mich. (-12 percent, -200 jobs)
  3. Binghamton, N.Y. (-11 percent, -500 jobs)
  4. Pittsfield, Mass. (-9 percent, -200 jobs)
  5. Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y.

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