Construction employment increased in 34 states and the District of Columbia in November from a year earlier, while 28 states added construction jobs from October to November, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted fewer states added construction jobs in November than other recent months, but contractors are mostly upbeat heading into 2024.
Year-over-year data
Between November 2022 and November 2023, 34 states and D.C. added construction jobs, while industry employment declined in 14 states and held steady in Alaska and West Virginia. Texas added the most construction employees over the year (35,700 jobs or 4.5 percent), followed by California, Florida, Kentucky and Ohio. Kentucky had the largest percentage increase over 12 months, followed by Arkansas, South Dakota and Wyoming.
New York lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-6,300 jobs, -1.6 percent), followed by Missouri, Washington and Colorado. North Dakota had the largest percentage loss, followed by Missouri, Hawaii and Vermont.
November 2023 data
For the month, construction employment increased in 28 states, declined in 19 states and D.C., and was unchanged in Alaska, Georgia and Louisiana. Texas added the most jobs over the month (9,200 jobs, 1.1 percent), followed by California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada. The largest percentage gain occurred in Oklahoma (2.7 percent, 2,300 jobs), followed by Nevada and Iowa.
New York lost the most construction jobs in November (-5,200 jobs, -1.3 percent), followed by Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey. The largest percentage loss occurred in Ohio and New Jersey, followed by New York, Michigan and Oregon.
AGC's take on the data
“The number of states with construction job gains has been shrinking as apartment and office projects wind down,” says Ken Simonson, chief economist, AGC. “But contractors are optimistic about demand for infrastructure and federal projects in 2024, while homebuilding is starting to revive in many states.”
Association officials said many contractors are worried about being able to find enough people to keep pace with demand. They urged public officials to boost funding for construction education and training programs and to allow more people to legally enter the country to work in construction.
“Too few new workers are ever exposed to construction as a career opportunity,” says AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr. “Boosting funding for construction education and training will expose more students to career opportunities in construction.”
