Barely Half Of Metro Areas Add Construction Jobs From July 2024 To July 2025; Association To Unveil Survey Finding Firms Struggle To Fill Openings

Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, Va.-W.Va. and Las Cruces, N.M. Again Lead in Number and Percentage of Yearly Job Gains, While Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. and Niles, Mich. Have Worst Declines

Just 184, or 51 percent, of the nation’s metro areas added construction jobs between July 2024 and July 2025, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said a survey of their members to be released on Thursday shows many contractors want to hire more workers but cannot find enough applicants with adequate training or credentials.

“Construction employment has stalled or retreated in many areas for a variety of reasons,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But contractors report they would hire more people if only they could find more qualified and willing workers and tougher immigration enforcement wasn’t disrupting labor supplies.”

For the fifth month in a row, Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, Va.-W.Va. added the most construction jobs (7,900 jobs or 9 percent) between July 2024 and July 2025. In second place was Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas (6,600 jobs, 3 percent). The top two gainers were followed by Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. (5,100 jobs, 9 percent); Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, Ill. (5,000 jobs, 4 percent), and Washington, D.C.-Md. (4,700 jobs, 10 percent). The largest percentage gain—11 percent—occurred in three metro areas: Las Cruces, N.M. (500 jobs); Canton-Massillon, Ohio (1,100 jobs); and Pocatello, Idaho (300 jobs). Two areas had 10 percent gains: Washington, D.C.-Md. and Battle Creek, Mich. (200 jobs).

Construction employment declined over the year in 120 metro areas and was unchanged in 56 areas. The largest job loss again occurred in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-7,200 jobs, -6 percent), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (-6,200 jobs, -6 percent); Baton Rouge, La. (-3,900 jobs, -8 percent); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (-3,700 jobs, -3 percent); and Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, Calif. (-3,500 jobs, -5 percent). The largest percentage decrease again occurred in Niles, Mich. (-9 percent, -200 jobs), followed by three areas with declines of 8 percent each: Baton Rouge; Pueblo, Colo. (-300 jobs); and Walla Walla, Wash. (-100 jobs).

Association officials said they and NCCER will hold a virtual media briefing tomorrow, August 28^th, at 1 p.m. eastern time to release the results of their annual Workforce Survey. They noted the survey results will outline how contractors are still struggling to find enough qualified workers and the impacts enhanced immigration enforcement efforts are having on the sector. The survey will also highlight some of the broader impacts of workforce shortages.

“This survey is designed to measure the severity of construction workforce shortages and the impacts those shortages have on construction firms and projects,” Simonson noted. “The survey is also designed to understand what construction firms are doing to help bring more people into the industry.

View the metro employment data by state, by rank and top 10 changes.