Construction employment increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia in November from a year earlier, while 23 states and D.C. added construction jobs between October and November, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said the industry needs a viable program of workforce authorizations to keep up with demand.
“While job growth has been widespread over the past year, the more limited growth in the latest month may be a sign of the difficulty contractors face in finding qualified workers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “More states would have added construction employees from October to November if there were enough qualified workers available to hire.”
Between November 2023 and November 2024, 41 and D.C. states added construction jobs—the highest 12-month total so far this year. Nine states shed jobs. Texas added the most construction employees (32,200 jobs or 3.9 percent), followed by Florida (28,700 jobs, 4.5 percent), Ohio (15,400 jobs, 6.4 percent), and Michigan (14,800 jobs, 7.8 percent). Alaska had the largest percentage gain over 12 months (20.3 percent, 3,600 jobs), followed by Hawaii (7.8 percent, 3,000 jobs), Michigan, Ohio, and Oklahoma (6.4 percent, 5,500 jobs).
California lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-11,500 jobs, -1.2 percent), followed by New York (-4,100 jobs, -1.1 percent), Maryland (-3,700 jobs, -2.3 percent), Oregon (-2,300 jobs, -2.0 percent), and Georgia (-1,300 jobs, -0.6 percent). The largest percentage loss was in Maryland, followed by Oregon, Maine (-1.5 percent, -500 jobs), California, and New York.
For the month, industry employment increased in 23 states and D.C., declined in 23 states, and was unchanged in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Florida added the most construction jobs (7,600 jobs or 1.1 percent), followed by North Carolina (3,800 jobs, 1.4 percent), Minnesota (2,800 jobs, 2.1 percent), New York (2,200 jobs, 0.6 percent), and Oregon (2,100 jobs, 1.9 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in Minnesota, D.C. (2.0 percent, 300 jobs), Oregon, and Wyoming (1.7 percent, 400 jobs).
Indiana lost the most construction jobs from October to November (-3,400 jobs or -2.0 percent), followed by California (-2,800 jobs, -0.3 percent) and Illinois (-2,700 jobs, -1.1 percent). Indiana also lost the highest percentage of jobs for the month, followed by Delaware (-1.3 percent, -400 jobs).
Association officials urged the incoming Trump administration and Congress to find ways to enable construction firms to fill vacant positions through targeted workforce authorizations. They said having access to workers with the proper skills is essential for meeting the demands for domestic manufacturing, energy, infrastructure and other projects.
“Building a strong and competitive U.S. economy starts with having sufficient skilled construction workers,” Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer, said. “Targeted workforce authorizations are a vital element in achieving that goal.”
View November 2024 state employment data and 1-month and 12-month rankings.
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