Construction Employment Rises in 223 of 358 Metro Areas from August 2022 to 2023
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, register the largest number and percent of job gains; Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, and Kankakee, Illinois, experience worst year-over-year losses
Construction employment increased in 223 of 358 metro areas between August 2022 and 2023, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said contractors report they would like to hire even more workers but are having trouble finding enough who are qualified.
“Although construction employment is growing in most locations, contractors everywhere report they are having trouble filling positions,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Many more metro areas would have shown gains if there were enough qualified workers to fill the openings.”