Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between September 2016 and September 2017, while 26 states added construction jobs between August and September as some state employment levels were impacted by recent hurricanes, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released recently. Association officials noted that construction employment in many parts of the country would have been higher if more qualified workers were available. “Contractors in most states still report they are busy and expect to stay that way for the foreseeable future,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for … Read more

Thirty-nine states added construction jobs between January 2016 and January 2017 while 38 states and D.C. added construction jobs between December and January, according to a recently released analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that many firms report they are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to hire as they work to keep pace with growing demand. “Even as firms continue to find ways to expand their headcount, they are increasingly concerned about the lack of available, qualified workers,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. “There is only so much firms … Read more

Thirty-two states added construction jobs in 2016 as a dearth of experienced workers kept contractors in many states from hiring as many employees as they would have preferred, according to data in a recently released analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department and the association’s own survey. Association officials said the new Trump administration could help by including workforce development measures as part of its promised new infrastructure program. “Although the number of states reporting construction employment increases has dwindled, contractors are more upbeat than ever about the construction market and intend to hire more workers … Read more