Thirty-nine states added construction jobs between April 2016–2017, while only 21 states added jobs compared with March, according to an analysis by The Associated General Contractors of America.
Thirty-nine states added construction jobs between April 2016–2017, while only 21 states added jobs compared with March, according to an analysis by The Associated General Contractors of America.
California added the most jobs, 38,000, between April 2016–17, followed by Florida, 34,400 jobs; Washington, 11,200; Nevada, 9,700 jobs; and Michigan, 8,200 jobs. Nevada also had the highest percent increase in jobs, 13 percent, in the country. It was followed by New Hampshire, which added 2,600 jobs, a 10.2 percent increase; Rhode Island, 1,800 jobs, a 10 percent increase; Oregon, 8,000 jobs, a 9 percent increase.
"Demand for construction remains robust, so it is likely that a number of the monthly employment declines are being caused by a lack of workers instead of a lack of work," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, in a statement. "If the labor market remains tight, firms may have to adjust their business practices as they shift limited personnel from one project to the next."
Among the states that lost jobs, Illinois shed the most, 6,600 jobs. It was followed by Mississippi, which was down 3,600 jobs; and Maryland, down 1,400 jobs.
