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Florida and Alaska Top Lists of Numerical and Percentage 12-Month Gains, While New York and Maine Lag; Florida and Tennessee Post Highest Monthly Increases, While New York and Arkansas Have Worst Losses

Construction employment increased in 39 states in July from a year earlier, while 29 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between June and July, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials noted that demand for projects—and the workers to execute them—remains robust in most states but there is a pressing new to prepare more people for careers in construction.

“Construction employment gains remain widespread, thanks to steady or increasing demand for data centers, manufacturing plants, energy and infrastructure projects,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But further job growth may be hindered by a lack of training programs for construction careers.”

Between July 2023 and July 2024, 39 states added construction jobs, while 11 states and D.C. shed jobs. Florida added the most construction employees (36,700 jobs or 5.8 percent), followed by Texas (33,100 jobs, 4.0 percent), California (16,500 jobs, 1.8 percent), Michigan (14,100 jobs, 7.4 percent), and Nevada (13,300 jobs, 11.9 percent). Alaska had the largest percentage gain over 12 months (19.9 percent, 3,400 jobs), followed by Hawaii (13.2 percent, 5,000 jobs), Nevada, Louisiana (7.5 percent, 9,600 jobs), and Michigan.

New York lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-8,100 jobs, -2.1 percent), followed by Colorado (-4,200 jobs, -2.3 percent), Maryland (-4,000 jobs, -2.5 percent), Minnesota (-1,500, -1.1 percent), and Maine (-1,400 jobs, -4.1 percent). The largest percentage loss was in Maine, followed by D.C. (-4.0 percent, -600 jobs), Maryland, Colorado, and New York.

For the month, industry employment increased in 29 states and D.C., declined in 16 states and was unchanged in five states. Florida added the most jobs (6,300 jobs or 1.0 percent), followed by Tennessee (5,200 jobs, 3.3 percent), California (2,700 jobs, 0.3 percent), and Ohio (2,300 jobs, 0.9 percent). Tennessee had the largest percentage gain, followed by North Dakota (2.5 percent, 700 jobs) and Hawaii (1.9 percent, 800 jobs).

New York lost the most construction jobs from June to July (-3,800 jobs or -1.0 percent), followed by New Jersey (-1,700 jobs, -1.0 percent), Missouri (-1,500 jobs, -1.0 percent), and Wisconsin (-1,000 jobs, -0.7 percent). Arkansas lost the highest percentage of jobs (-1.2 percent, -800 jobs), followed by New York, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wyoming (-0.9 percent, -200 jobs).

Association officials urged Congress to increase funding for career and technical education programs, including construction-focused training, in the fiscal year 2025 spending bills for the Departments of Education and Labor. They noted that the federal government currently spends four times as much on academic college programs as it allocates for preparing career-oriented programs in fields like construction.

“The funding bills that Congress will be working on in September provide an opportunity to help many more people prepare for high-paying careers in fields like construction,” Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer, said. “Unless the nation has enough well-trained construction workers, many projects vital for economic growth and competitiveness will be delayed or postponed.”

View July 2024 state employment data and 1-month and 12-month rankings.