February Construction Employment Up in 43 States

Construction employment increased in 43 states between February 2016 and February 2017, and in 39 states between January and February, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Florida added the most jobs with 34,700, an increase of 7.5 percent year-over-year. Other states that added high numbers of construction jobs over the past 12 years are California, 16,500 jobs; Texas, 14,200 jobs; and Louisiana, 13,500 jobs.

"A combination of solid demand and unseasonably mild weather added to construction employment in more states than usual in February," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, in a statement. "But conditions vary widely. Five states set new records for construction employment, while more than half the states are still at least 10 percent below their all-time highs."