Construction Employment Increases in Most Metro Areas (...)

Published: 19/8, 2019

Construction Employment Increases in Most Metro Areas as Demand Continues to Outpace Supply

Construction employment grew in 250 out of 358 US metropolitan areas between April 2018 and April 2019 according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said construction employment in many parts of the country likely would have been higher if firms could find more qualified workers to hire.

 “Demand for construction is steady or rising in most parts of the country, and many contractors are adding workers when they can find them,” says Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “At the same time, many firms report they would have hired even more employees if only they could find enough qualified workers.”

 The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., area added the most construction jobs during the past year (16,600 jobs, followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (9,200 jobs); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (8,400 jobs); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (7,000 jobs); and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev. (6,800 jobs). Fifty-three metro areas reported declines in construction employment during the 12-month period, led by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C. (-2,600 jobs); Baton Rouge, La. (-1,800 jobs); Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn. (-1,600 jobs): and Longview, Texas (-1,300 jobs). AGC officials said that even though construction employment continues to expand in many parts of the country, workforce shortages remain problematic for many contractors eager to keep pace with strong demand.

 “One reason relatively few young adults choose to pursue rewarding careers in construction is because not many of them are being told it is an option to consider,” says Stephen Sandherr, AGC’s chief executive officer. “We have a lot of contractors looking for workers so they can keep up with the amount of work that is out there.”