Construction employment expanded in 35 states and the District of Columbia between September 2014 and September 2015 yet only 23 states added jobs between August and September, according to an analysis released today of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the fact as many states lost construction jobs as added them last month was likely due to a combination of labor shortages and uncertainty about a host of federal investment programs.
“Depending on the kind of work they perform, many contractors either can’t find enough workers, or they can’t find enough work,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer for the association. “While overall demand for construction continues to grow and sap the pool of available labor, firms that work on federally-funded projects are dealing with a lot of uncertainty.”
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