August 24, 2015

15,300 construction jobs added in state last year

An analysis of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America shows Washington state added 15,300 construction jobs over the last year ending in July.

Only two other states topped that: California with 48,900 jobs and Florida with 26,500 jobs.

Construction employment expanded in 37 states and the District of Columbia over that period, but only 28 states and D.C. added jobs between June and July of this year, according to the AGC. Washington added 1,100 jobs over the month.

“Construction continues to grow overall but fewer states are participating in the expansion than was true a year ago,” said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson in a news release. “The uneven growth reflects the cross-cutting trends in the overall economy, as tight government budgets, plunging commodity prices and weak overseas demand lead to project cancellations in some states even while activity accelerates elsewhere.”

Washington ranked fourth for the highest percentage of new construction jobs in the past year — up 9.6 percent. Arkansas led the nation at 14.9 percent, followed by Idaho at 13.7 percent and Nevada at 10.7 percent.

Thirteen states shed construction jobs during the past 12 months; only three had fewer construction jobs a year earlier. West Virginia topped that list, with a drop of 16 percent. Other states with big job losses were Ohio, Indiana and Mississippi.

Association officials said that contractors in parts of the country where construction demand is growing report it is getting harder to find qualified workers to fill open positions. They said those shortages will only get more severe as demand for construction continues to grow.