Construction employment increased in 61% of the metro areas analyzed by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) between March 2018 and March 2019, according to a report from the organization. Employment grew in 218 metro areas in the past 12 months and declined in 83 metro areas. The 218 metro areas to add construction employment from March 2018 to March 2019 is slightly lower than the 232 metro areas that added jobs from February 2018 to February 2019 and significantly lower than the 275 metro areas that added construction jobs from January 2018 to January 2019.
“Fewer metros than in recent months recorded construction employment gains over the past year,” said Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “However, the ongoing increase in spending on most categories of construction suggests that the lack of job growth is more likely due to a scarcity of qualified workers rather than a slowing of demand. In fact, there was a record number of job openings in construction going into March.”
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga., Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev., added the most construction jobs year over year in pure numbers. Monroe, Mich., Chico, Calif., St. Cloud, Minn., and Yuba City, Calif., added the highest percentage of jobs in the last 12 months, according to the AGC.
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Ill., Kansas City, Kan., Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif., and Baton Rouge, La., reported the greatest employment declines in pure numbers during the past 12 months, while Danville, Ill., and Niles-Benton Harbo, Mich., experienced the largest percentage declines in employment from March 2018 to March 2019.
The AGC also reported total construction spending declined 80 basis points from March 2018 to $1.282 trillion in March 2019. The yearly decline in spending was mostly confined to single-family home building, which declined 8.4% over the past 12 months.
