Construction Job Growth Rebounded in October
Thirty-five states added construction jobs in the past month, and 43 states and the District of Columbia posted employment increases over last year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) analysis of Labor Department data.
“Construction job gains were more widespread than at any time since last February,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. “Several states that had recently experienced year-over-year job losses began adding workers, while net employment gains accelerated in numerous other states.”
In the past 12 months construction spending rose 14 percent, the fastest clip since 2006, Simonson noted. He said the spending data suggest contractors will continue to expand hiring if they can find qualified workers. But he cautioned that may be difficult in many states because the number of unemployed jobseekers in October who last worked in construction was at the lowest October level since 2006.
California added the most new construction jobs (49,800 jobs, 7.3 percent) between October 2014 and October 2015. New York, Florida and Washington also added a significant number of construction workers.
Seven states shed construction jobs during the past 12 months: West Virginia, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Indiana and New Mexico saw the largest decreases.
Find the AGC's complete update here.
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