Construction Employment Grew in 72% of Metro Areas Since Pre-Pandemic

Construction employment increased in 72% of the 257 metro areas in June 2021 compared with February 2020, the last month before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated General Contractors of America reported.

Construction employment declined or remained unchanged in 101 metro areas compared with February 2020—an unusually high amount of stagnation, according to AGC.

“Typically, construction employment increases between February and June in all but 30 metro areas,” stated Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “The fact that more than three times as many metros as usual failed to add construction jobs, despite a hot housing market, is an indication of the continuing impact of the pandemic on both demand for nonresidential projects and the supply of workers.”

Eighty metro areas reported declines in construction employment compared with February 2020, and employment was unchanged in 21 areas.

Compared with February 2020, Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Ill., added the most construction jobs with 14,300, a 12% jump. The largest decline in the past 16 months was recorded in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, which shed 33,400 construction jobs, a 14 percent decline.

The full AGC report can be found here.