Construction Hiring Increased in 40 States YOY and in 30 March to April

Arlington, VA, May 28, 2015—Construction firms added jobs in 40 states and the District of Columbia between April 2014 and April 2015 and in 30 states and D.C. between March and April, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Association officials said that even as construction employment continues to expand, workforce shortages and infrastructure funding challenges threaten future growth.

"The latest data show that construction is growing across most of the country but the gains remain uneven by month and state," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Construction employment grew faster than overall employment in most states in the latest 12 months, but the industry faces two challenges: a lack of experienced workers in many locations and a risk that funding for highway and transit projects will lapse in the next few months."

California added more new construction jobs (42,600 jobs, 6.4%) between April 2014 and April 2015 than any other state. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months included Florida (32,200 jobs, 8.2%), Texas (25,300 jobs, 3.9%), Washington (18,700 jobs, 12.0%) and Michigan (14,800 jobs, 10.6%). Idaho (4,400 jobs, 12.4%) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Washington, Michigan and New Jersey.

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