Nearly two out of three U.S. metro areas added construction jobs between October 2020 and October 2021, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials noted that the job gains would likely have been larger and more widespread if firms weren’t dealing with the twin challenges of supply chain problems and labor shortages.
“While it is heartening that construction is recovering from the lows of 2020 in much of the country, the pandemic is still causing major supply-chain problems and is keeping some workers from seeking employment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Those impediments threaten to limit construction employment gains in many metros.”
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