Construction employment increased in 78 percent of metro areas from October 2017 to October 2018, growing in 281 of 358 metro areas, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
Construction employment declined in 43 metros and remained unchanged in 34 metros during that time period.
“Construction employment has been increasing at a greater rate than overall employment in many metros,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson said in a statement. “But many contractors report they are having difficulty filling hourly craft worker positions, even though construction pay exceeds the average for the overall economy.”
The most construction jobs (25,600) were added in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro in Texas, a 12 percent increase year-over-year.
The largest job decline in construction (3,900) was recorded in the Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean metro in New Jersey, a 10 percent decrease year-over-year.
The full AGC report can be found here.
