Thirty-three states added construction jobs in January as contractors continued to struggle to fill open positions, according to Associated General Contractors of America. Thirty-seven states added construction jobs during the past year.
“This report confirms that construction demand remains robust in most states, especially for data centers, manufacturing, and power projects,” said Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “But contractors are scrambling to find qualified workers, which is keeping more states from posting employment increases.”
North Carolina added the most construction jobs from December 2023 to January—4,000—and Arkansas, Hawaii and Mississippi had the largest percentage increase of construction jobs for the month—2.3%. During the past 12 months, California added the most construction jobs—44,600—and South Dakota had the largest percentage increase—11.3%
Illinois lost the largest number of construction jobs (-5,300) for the month and had the largest percentage decline (-2.3%). During the past 12 months, New York lost the most construction jobs (-12,000) and Washington, D.C., had the largest percentage decline (-5.1%).
