Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Merit Shop Scorecard named Wisconsin as the No. 1 state for construction in 2024, according to ABC.
Released annually since 2015, the scorecard ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on policies and programs that strengthen career pathways in construction; encourage workforce development; and advocate for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects.
Wisconsin’s construction industry earned the top spot because it had the highest scores on fair and open competition policies prohibiting government-mandated project labor agreements; a sustained level of positive job growth, with a five-year job growth rate of 4.4%; a 97.4% graduation rate for students in career and technical education programs and 91.4% rate of postsecondary CTE students placed in careers and/or apprenticeship programs; and a workforce development pipeline that delivers a strong construction labor supply amid a severe nationwide labor shortage.
The top 10 ranked states were:
- Wisconsin
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Arizona
- Indiana
- Florida
- Utah
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
The bottom five states were Washington, the District of Columbia, Illinois, New York and Hawaii.
