Exactly half of the nation’s metro areas added construction jobs between June 2024 and June 2025, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that construction demand appears to be stalled in many parts of the country amid uncertainty about tariff rates and labor availability.
“Construction activity is in a holding pattern in much of the nation,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As a result, fewer metro areas are experiencing gains in construction employment compared to a year ago.” The construction economist noted that only 180 of the 360 metro areas for which the government posts construction employment data added construction jobs in the latest 12 months, whereas a year ago, there were roughly 35 more areas with gains in construction employment.
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