Forty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between March 2015 and March 2016 while construction employment increased in 28 states between February and March, according to analysis of Labor Department data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the five states experiencing year-over-year construction employment declines are all energy producing states where construction demand has likely suffered from declining prices for coal, oil and other fuels.
“Construction employment growth occurred all regions in the latest 12 months,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. “The only soft spots in construction demand and employment are in states that rely on energy extraction for a large segment of their economy. The economic diversity across the leading job-growth states suggest that construction will continue to add to jobs gains in much of the country.”
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