Construction employment fell in 61 and was unchanged in another 51 out of 358 metro areas between June 2021 and June 2022, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that employment was falling or stagnant in nearly one-third of metro areas at a time when many construction firms are struggling to find enough qualified workers to hire and cope with supply chain challenges and rising materials prices.
“Construction employment likely would have expanded in more metro areas if firms had the materials they need and the workers they want,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “The impacts of these labor and materials shortages are becoming increasingly widespread, as communities and developers scale back construction ambitions to cope with the fact construction costs more and takes longer to complete.”
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