Construction employment sees 70 percent increase year over year in US

Construction employment increased in 248 out of 358 metro areas between January 2017 and January 2018, declined in 68 and stagnated in 42, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released March 16 by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California, added the most construction jobs during the past year (10,600 jobs, 12 percent), followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona (9,900 jobs, 9 percent); Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (9,200 jobs, 4 percent); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California (9,000 jobs, 7 percent); and Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California (8,400 jobs, 16 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Merced, California, metro area (38 percent, 800 jobs) followed by Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, Massachusetts-New Hampshire (26 percent, 700 jobs); Midland, Texas (24 percent, 5,900 jobs); and Greeley, Colorado (23 percent, 3,500 jobs).

The largest job losses from January 2017 to January 2018 were in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (-6,600 jobs, -13 percent), followed by St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois (-3,300 jobs, -5 percent); Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, Pennsylvania (-2,600 jobs, -5 percent); Columbia, South Carolina (-2,500 jobs, -12 percent); and Camden, New Jersey (-1,700 jobs, -8 percent). The largest percentage decreases for the year were in Auburn-Opelika, Alabama (-32 percent, -1,200 jobs) followed by Monroe, Michigan (-16 percent, -300 jobs); Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Columbia, South Carolina.  

You can view the metro employment data by rank and state and via an employment map.