Construction activity is showing signs of returning to pre-coronavirus levels in many parts of the U.S., according to a survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and data gathered by Precore, a construction technology firm.
Precore data on workers’ hours gathered between March and May 31 found that 34 states are now seeing pre-coronavirus levels of construction activity.
The AGC survey also found that only 8% of construction firms furloughed or laid off workers in June, and 21% reported adding employees during the month.
AGC stated that while many of the immediate economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have passed, long-term impacts are still likely to be felt by the industry.
“It is important to remember that construction activity typically increases quite a bit between March 1 and the end of May as the weather improves and more work gets underway,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson stated. “Getting to March 1 levels is a sign of progress, but it doesn’t mean things are back to normal.”
After the industry lost nearly one million jobs in April, hiring is also beginning to tick back up. In May, AGC found 45 states reported construction employment increases.
The full report can be found here.
