Construction employment increased in 189, or 53 percent, of 360 metro areas between January 2024 and January 2025, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said the employment figures, while still mostly positive, have slowed recently and likely reflect uncertainty about the impact of the Trump administration’s trade and labor policies.
“Construction activity has slowed in the past year but remains positive in a majority of metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But the prospect of higher costs and shrinking export markets due to tariffs, along with possible deportations of construction workers, will make continued growth difficult.”
Construction employment declined over the year in 104 metro areas and was unchanged in 67 areas. The largest job loss occurred in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (-7,800 jobs, -5 percent), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-6,500 jobs, -6 percent); New York City, N.Y. (-4,700 jobs, -3 percent), and Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. (-4,600 jobs, -4 percent). The largest percentage decrease occurred in Elizabethtown, Ky. (-39 percent, -1,200 jobs), followed by Cleveland, Tenn. (-15 percent, -400 jobs); Monroe, Mich. (-14 percent, -300 jobs); and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla. (-10 percent, -1,800 jobs).
Association officials said demand for construction in some parts of the country appears to be slowing amid economic uncertainty about the impact tariffs will have on trade and consumer demand. They urged the Trump administration to either quickly resolve the underlying trade disputes or to exempt construction materials from additional tariffs.
“As the administration works to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, we hope the president pursues government policies that ensure we have the workforce and materials necessary to expand domestic manufacturing,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “The president’s policies should include permitting reform, investments in workforce development and trade policies that ensure adequate delivery of key components for both construction and manufacturing.”
View the metro employment data and top 10.
Note: This month’s metro construction employment report reflects changes recently adopted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency added, renamed, or reclassified some metro areas and removed some from publication. Contact brian.turmail@agc.org for details on changes in construction listings.