Construction Jobs Rise In 224 Metro Areas In Dec. 2022-2023

Feb 22, 2024

According to an analysis of new federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America, construction employment increased in 224 of 358 metro areas between December 2022 and December 2023.

While the numbers were good, they could have been better.

Association officials noted the industry has almost 400,000 empty positions nationwide and likely would have filled some of those jobs if firms could hire additional qualified workers.

“Even more metro areas would have added workers if they were available,” said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. “But there were 374,000 job openings in construction at the end of December according to a separate government report, illustrating the difficulty contractors face in filling positions.”

Metro areas that added the most jobs

  1. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas added 12,300 jobs (+8 percent)
  2. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. added 10,400 jobs (+7 percent)
  3. Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. added 10,000 jobs (+9 percent);
  4. Baton Rouge, La. added 9,100 jobs (+18 percent)
  5. Austin-Round Rock, Texas added 8,100 jobs (+10 percent)

Metro areas with the largest percentage of jobs created 

  1. Sioux Falls, S.D., 20 percent (2,000 jobs)
  2. Tulsa, Okla., 19 percent (4,600 jobs)
  3. Baton Rouge, La. and Danville, Ill., 17 percent (100 jobs)
  4. Albuquerque, N.M., 16 percent (4,000 jobs)

Construction employment dropped over the year in 80 metro areas and was stagnant in 54 areas.

Metro areas with the greatest job loss

  1. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas lost 5,900 jobs (-3 percent)
  2. Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y lost 4,500 jobs (-10 percent)
  3. Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. lost 4,500 jobs (-5 percent)
  4. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. lost 3,500 jobs (-3 percent)
  5. 5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. lost 2,600 jobs (-5 percent)

Metro areas with largest percentage of job loss

  1. Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y.; Pittsfield, Mass., -10 percent (-200 jobs); Binghamton, N.Y. – 10 percent (-400 jobs)
  2. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y., -8 percent (-1,600 jobs)
  3. Bloomington, Ill. -7 percent (-200 jobs)

Recent Posts

Geauga Mechanical Employees Honored with Awards

The following Geauga Mechanical employees earned Craftsmanship Awards at the annual Building Excellence and Craftsmanship Awards ceremony, held at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Aug. 21: Leo Ornelas – Cleveland Museum of Art George Johnson – Cleveland Museum of Natural...

Road Safety: Hand Safety in Construction

Protecting Workers on the Job Hands are one of the most important tools on any construction site, yet they are also among the most vulnerable. According to OSHA, hand injuries account for a significant portion of workplace incidents each year, ranging from cuts and...

MCAA NEWS – September 2025

Court Rules Against President Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs, but All Tariffs Remain in Effect as the President Appeals Late Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling declaring President Trump’s tariffs, predicated on...

Categories