AGC: Metro area construction employment above pre-pandemic levels

By |  April 7, 2022

AGC

Construction employment increased from February 2020 – the month before the coronavirus pandemic began – to February 2022 in nearly three-fifths of U.S. metro areas, according to an Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) analysis of new government employment data.

Association officials say it is getting harder to find workers and urge officials to invest more in career training and education programs for construction.

“The rebound in construction employment in most metros shows there is robust demand for infrastructure and nonresidential buildings, as well as housing,” says Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “But contractors in many areas say they would hire even more workers if there were enough qualified candidates.”

There were 364,000 job openings in construction at the end of February 2022, the most for any February since the government first compiled the data in 2001, Simonson notes. Openings exceeded the 342,000 workers hired by construction firms that month, which implies contractors wanted to hire twice as many employees as they were able to, he says.

Construction employment rose in 209 of 358 metro areas (58 percent) over the 24-month period.

Salt Lake City added the most construction jobs (5,100 jobs, up 11 percent), followed by Jacksonville, Florida (4,800 jobs, up 10 percent); Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee (4,000 jobs, up 8 percent); and Boise City, Idaho (3,800 jobs, up 14 percent). Walla Walla, Washington, had the highest percentage gain (400 jobs, up 36 percent), followed by Decatur, Illinois (900 jobs, up 32 percent); Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, Massachusetts-New Hampshire (800 jobs, up 24 percent); and Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona (800 jobs, up 23 percent).

Construction employment declined in 109 metro areas from the February 2020 level and was stagnant in 40 areas.

New York City lost the most jobs (25,500, down 16 percent), followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (23,400 jobs, down 10 percent), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (6,800 jobs, down 14 percent). The largest percentage declines were in Odessa, Texas (500 jobs, down 27 percent); Greeley, Colorado (4,700 jobs, down 24 percent); and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas (4,700 jobs, down 22 percent).

AGC officials say they are taking steps to recruit more people into the industry, including with its “Construction is Essential” targeted digital advertising campaign and the “Culture of Care” program that it designed to help firms retain new workers. They urge public officials, however, to support those efforts by boosting investments in career and technical education programs focusing on construction.

“Career and technical education teaches essential skills and exposes a broader range of people to the many career opportunities available in construction,” says Stephen Sandherr, AGC’s CEO. “Helping encourage more people to pursue high-paying construction careers will keep America building and contribute to broader economic growth.”

Jack Kopanski

About the Author:

Jack Kopanski is the Managing Editor of Pit & Quarry and Editor-in-Chief of Portable Plants. Kopanski can be reached at 216-706-3756 or jkopanski@northcoastmedia.net.

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