Construction employment in April showed that 36 states and D.C. remained below pre-pandemic employment levels in February 2020, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Material prices and supply and labor shortages are key factors in continued employment shortages, according to AGC.
“Today’s numbers show that construction has yet to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic in most parts of the country,” stated Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist. “Even where employment has topped pre-pandemic levels, the gains are likely due mainly to feverish homebuilding and remodeling, not to widespread resumption of nonresidential building and infrastructure projects.”
Only 14 states exceeded February 2020 construction employment in April. Compared with March 2021, construction employment increased in 26 states, decreased in 21 and held steady in three states and D.C., according to AGC. Illinois added the most construction jobs during the month with 4,000, a 1.8% increase.
The full AGC report can be found here.
