Forty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between September 2017 and September 2018, while 29 states and D.C. added construction jobs between August and September, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials noted that the continued job gains were a sign of an exceptional business environment, but that difficulty in hiring qualified craft workers could increase contractors’ costs and extend construction times.
“Construction activity is expanding nearly everywhere, as only three states experienced a decline in construction employment over the past year,” said chief economist Ken Simonson. “These results show that contractors remain upbeat about demand for projects going forward. However, further employment gains may be difficult, given low unemployment in most states and an inadequate pipeline for training future construction workers.”
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