Construction employment increased in three out of four metro areas year-over-year in March, the Associated General Contractors of America reported.
While employment increased in many areas, the number of construction job openings surged 52% year-over-year to 364,000, exceeding the number of employees hired in February.
“It is heartening to see construction employment come back from the depths of pandemic-induced job losses in most areas,” stated Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “But the skyrocketing number of job openings shows the industry needs far more workers than are available in many parts of the country.”
Construction employment increased in 268—or 75%—of the 358 metro areas over the past year, with the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, area adding the most construction jobs with 9,300. Construction employment declined in 48 metro areas compared with March 2021 and was unchanged in 42 metro areas.
The full AGC report can be found here.
