Texas and Alaska Have Highest Number and Percent of 12-Month Gains, While California and West Virginia Lag; Washington and South Dakota Top Lists of Monthly Gains; New York and Mississippi Have Worst Monthly Losses
Construction employment increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia in December from a year earlier, while 26 states added construction jobs between November and December, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said that future employment levels in the construction industry could be impacted depending on the new administration’s workforce and funding plans.
“Many firms are counting on strong public-sector demand this year and plan to hire as a result,” said Jeffrey Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “But possible federal funding pauses and efforts to curtail lawful work authorizations could impact future hiring plans for many firms.”
Between December 2023 and December 2024, 38 and D.C. states added construction jobs. Ten states shed jobs. Texas added the most construction employees (31,500 jobs or 3.8 percent), followed by Florida (28,900 jobs, 4.5 percent), Ohio (17,900 jobs, 7.6 percent), and Michigan (13,600 jobs, 7.2 percent). Alaska had the largest percentage gain over 12 months (18.9 percent, 3,400 jobs), followed by Oklahoma (8.6 percent, 7,400 jobs), Ohio (7.6 percent, 17,900 jobs), and Hawaii (7.5 percent, 2,900 jobs).
California lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-12,400 jobs, -1.3 percent), followed by New York (-7,400 jobs, -1.9 percent), Maryland (-3,900 jobs, -2.5 percent), Arizona (-2,900 jobs, -1.3 percent), and Oregon (-2,500 jobs, -2.1 percent). The largest percentage loss was in West Virginia (-3.4 percent, -1,200 jobs), followed by Maryland, Oregon, New York, and California.
For the month, industry employment increased in 26 states, declined in 20 states, and was unchanged in Arkansas, D.C., Tennessee, Idaho, and Wisconsin. Washington added the most construction jobs (4,000 jobs or 1.7 percent), followed by Texas (2,300 jobs, 0.3 percent), Florida (1,800 jobs, 0.3 percent), Oklahoma (1,600 jobs, 1.7 percent), and Illinois (1,600 jobs, 0.7 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in South Dakota (1.9 percent, 600 jobs), Washington, Oklahoma, Wyoming (1.7 percent, 400 jobs), and Iowa (1.0 percent, 800 jobs).
New York lost the most construction jobs from November to December (-4,400 jobs or -1.2 percent), followed by New Jersey (-2,100 jobs, -1.2 percent) and Arizona (-1,800 jobs, -0.8 percent). Mississippi also lost the highest percentage of jobs for the month (-2.2 percent, -1,100 jobs), followed by Minnesota (-1.3 percent, -1,700 jobs).
Association officials noted that a recently issued memo from the Office of Management and Budget appears to call for a temporary halt in many categories of federal funding for construction. They noted that the length of that pause could impact some construction projects. They also urged the Trump administration to support increased funding for construction education and training programs and temporary visa programs dedicated to construction to ensure there are enough people to keep pace with demand for economic development and infrastructure projects.
“While it is unclear what impact this new funding pause will have, we do know that any significant delays in federal funding for vital infrastructure and construction projects are likely to affect construction schedules,” said Shoaf. “Moving forward, we hope the administration will work to narrow a massive federal funding gap that promotes four-year colleges over rewarding careers in fields like construction.”
View December 2024 state employment data and 1-month and 12-month rankings.