April's Construction Employment Lags Pre-Covid Numbers

Washington, DC, June 4, 2021-Construction employment decreased from February 2020-the last month prior to the pandemic-to April 2021 in 107, or 30%, of the nation’s metro areas, and was stagnant in another 34, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data. Association officials said that construction employment in many parts of the country was being undermined by pandemic-induced project delays, materials price spikes and shortages, and difficulties finding labor.

“It is disturbing to see that nearly one-third of the nation’s metro areas had lower construction employment totals in the mild weather and strongly rebounding economy of April 2021 than in the winter of 2020,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Ever-growing supply-chain bottlenecks and record prices for numerous construction materials threaten to further chill demand for job gains in many metros.”

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