Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between December 2018 and December 2019, while construction employment increased in 29 states from November to December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials added that most contractors expect to continue adding to their payrolls in 2020, according to the results of the association’s annual construction forecast.
“Construction employment consistently expanded in at least two-thirds of the states throughout 2019, even though contractors reported difficulty in finding qualified workers all year long,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As long as they are able to continue finding qualified workers, most firms expect to continue hiring this year.”