Construction employment increased in approximately two-thirds of the 358 U.S. metro areas analyzed between November 2020 and November 2021, according to an analysis of government data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). AGC officials said it will be difficult for construction levels to return to pre-pandemic levels amid tight labor market conditions.
“It isn’t surprising that construction employment has picked up in most metros over the past year, given the strong economic rebound most of the country has experienced,” Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist, said in a prepared statement. “But with records job openings in construction, it’s clear that even more metros should be in the plus column if contractors could find the workers they need and get materials delivered on schedule.”
Of the 237 metros that experienced year-over-year (YOY) construction employment growth, Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California; Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington; and Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Illinois, added the most construction jobs. Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey; and Waterbury, Connecticut, experienced the largest percentage increase in industry jobs on a YOY basis.
Nassau County-Suffolk County, New York; Orange-Rockland-Westchester, New York; and Calvert-Charles-Prince George, Maryland, lost the highest number of construction jobs while Evansville, Indiana-Kentucky; Leominster-Gardner, Massachusetts; and Anchorage, Alaska, lost the highest percentage of construction jobs on a YOY basis.
