Construction employment increased in 243 out of 358 metro areas, was unchanged in 43 and declined in 72 between January 2015 and January 2016, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that many of the metro areas experiencing drops in construction employment were in energy-producing metro areas.
“Demand in most parts of the country is robust and construction employment is growing in more than two-thirds of all metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, the downturn in energy prices appears to be having a significant impact on construction demand in a number of formerly strong markets.”
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