June construction employment trailed in 39 states compared with pre-pandemic February 2020 construction employment rates, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Supply chain issues and rising material costs were cited as the main causes for the declines.
“The construction industry is a long way from full recovery in most states, in spite of a hot homebuilding market in many areas,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson stated. “Soaring materials costs, long production times for key items, and delayed deliveries are causing owners to postpone projects.”
States with the largest construction employment declines since February 2020 include New York, Texas and California. States with the largest construction employment increases since February 2020 include Utah, Idaho and South Dakota.
Compared with May 2021, June construction employment declined in 25 states and increased in 24 states and D.C. The largest month-over-month decline was in New York, which shed 6,900 construction jobs, a drop of 1.9%. Georgia added the most construction jobs during the month with 5,700, a growth of 2.9%.
The full AGC report can be found here.
