Construction Employment Dips in 40 States

Construction employment declined in 40 states and D.C. between April and May, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. The association cited “skyrocketing” materials prices and delays in shipments for the employment declines.

“In the few states where industry employment has topped the pre-pandemic levels of February 2020, most gains are likely attributable more to demand for homebuilding and remodeling than to most categories of nonresidential building and infrastructure projects,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson said in a statement.

Only eight states recorded construction employment increases during the month, and construction employment in Maryland and Utah remained unchanged. New York reported the largest employment decline with a loss of 5,900 construction jobs from April to May, a drop of 1.6% for the state. New York was trailed by Illinois’ decline of 5,600 jobs (2.5%) and Pennsylvania’s decline of 3,300 jobs (1.3%). Florida added the most construction jobs between April and May with 3,700, a 0.6% increase.

The full AGC report can be found here.