The national construction unemployment rate was 5.2% in December 2024, up 0.8% from December 2023, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Six states had lower unemployment rates from December 2023 to December 2024, while 44 states had higher rates.
ABC says the construction employment market is holding up well compared to its pre-pandemic level.
As of December 2024, 27 states had lower construction unemployment rates compared with December 2019, and 23 states had higher rates.
“High interest rates, rising labor costs and uncertainty about future materials prices due to tariffs are acting as a drag on new construction plans. Nonetheless, construction employment continues to grow as older projects move forward and some new projects break ground,” chief economist of Markstein Advisors, Bernard Markstein, said in a statement.
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