Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas and Baton Rouge, La. Have Largest Job Gains over 12 Months; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. Metro and Walla Walla, Wash. Have Worst Records for Job Losses
Construction employment increased in just under half—177, or 49%, out of 360—of metro areas between August 2025 and August 2026, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that only a few types of construction projects, including data centers, are driving much of the industry’s job growth, helping propel gains in areas where those projects are being built.
“Data centers, power projects and advanced manufacturing plants are spurring employment gains in many metros,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But other locations are experiencing a loss of jobs as volatile tariffs, rising materials costs and harsh immigration policies deter owners from committing to new construction.”
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas added the most construction jobs over the year (14,100 jobs or 6%), followed by Baton Rouge, La. (13,300 jobs, 29%); St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (11,200 jobs, 14%) and Columbus, Ohio (10,100 jobs, 16%). Baton Rouge had the largest percentage gain, followed by Columbus; Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. (14%, 1,600 jobs); St. Louis and Shreveport-Bossier City, La. (12%, 1,100 jobs).
Construction employment declined in 126 metro areas and was flat in 57 areas from August 2025 to August 2026. The largest job loss was in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. metro division (-4,900 jobs, -4%), followed by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-4,600 jobs, -4%); the Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. metro division (-4,300 jobs, -6%) and the Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, Calif. metro division (-4,000 jobs, -5%). The steepest percentage loss occurred in Walla Walla, Wash. (-8%, -100 jobs), followed by Fairbanks-College, Alaska (-7%, -200 jobs) and seven areas with 6% losses.
Association officials urged federal officials to take steps to boost construction demand and overall economic conditions. This includes passing a new, multi-year highway and transit bill, creating more certainty about future tariff levels, and establishing a reasonable process for responsible data center developers to move forward with vital technology infrastructure projects throughout the country.
“Protecting current construction demand, investing in new improvements to the nation’s aging infrastructure, and providing greater certainty about future costs will help stimulate new demand for construction activity and broader economic growth,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “The last thing the economy needs now is under-investment, needless barriers to new projects and uncertainties about future costs.”
View the metro employment data by metro, rank and top 10 changes.