Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas, Kankakee, Ill., Owensboro, Ky. Top Lists of Year-over-Year Job Gains, While New York City, Newark, N.J., Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Nev. Have Worst Losses
Just over half of metro areas added construction jobs between November 2024 and November 2025, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that the employment data is consistent with the results of a survey they released last week that found contractors less optimistic than a year ago about growth prospects for most project types.
“Construction hiring has slowed in many parts of the country as owners have put projects on hold,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “While a majority of contractors expect to add workers in 2026, there are likely to be fewer markets than a year ago with expanding opportunities.”
Construction employment declined over the year in 122 metro areas and was unchanged in 50 areas. The largest job loss occurred in New York City (-8,600 jobs, -6 percent), followed by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-8,500 jobs, -7 percent); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Nev. (-7,000 jobs, -9 percent); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (-6,900 jobs, -5 percent); and Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. (-5,600 jobs, -7 percent). The largest percentage losses, -9 percent, occurred in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Nev. and Newark, N.J. (-3,800 jobs); followed by 8 percent declines in Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. (-100 jobs); Grants Pass, Ore. (-100 jobs); and Bellingham, Wash. (-100 jobs).
Association officials noted that the association’s 2026 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey, conducted with Sage, found 63 percent of contractors expect to expand their headcount in 2026, compared to 69 percent that expected to do so in 2025. Conversely, 15 percent expect to lower their headcount, up from 10 percent with that view in 2025. They noted that the association is pushing Congress to pass a new highway and transit bill this year, address workforce shortages and streamline federal reviews and the permitting process to help the construction industry.
“Federal officials have an opportunity to support construction demand while making needed enhancements to the overall economy,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “That is why we will be busy advocating for measures to boost demand and address chronic labor shortages.”
View the metro employment data by state, by rank and top 10 changes.