Construction employment increased in 43 states and Washington, D.C., between December 2017 and December 2018, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
Texas added the most construction jobs in 2018, growing 6.4 percent with 46,800 jobs; South Carolina had the largest decrease, recording a loss of 5,100 construction jobs for a decline of 5.0 percent.
Based on a survey conducted by AGC, nearly four out of five construction firms said they expected to add employees in 2019. However, 78 percent of respondents reported difficulty filling positions, a majority noting they anticipated it would be as hard or harder to hire new workers in the upcoming year.
“The construction industry ended 2018 in good shape in nearly all parts of the country, and contractors are optimistic about the volume of work available in 2019,” Chief AGC Economist Ken Simonson said in a statement. “But finding workers to execute those projects is likely to be a major challenge.”
The full report from AGC can be found here.
