Employment across the U.S. is up, and with that, the construction industry is also seeing some employment growth. According to the National Association of Home Builders’ Eye On Housing blog, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 272,000 jobs in 41 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., during May, compared with 165,000 jobs in April.
In the construction sector alone, 26 states reported an increase in jobs during May, while 22 states and Washington, D.C., saw a decrease in jobs. The two remaining states, North Dakota and Rhode Island, reported no change month-over-month. Ohio saw the most employment growth, with 7,000 construction jobs added, while Tennessee lost 1,700 construction jobs. Overall, the construction industry added 21,000 jobs in May.
Year-over-year, construction sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 251,000, which is a 3.1% increase compared to the May 2023 level. Texas added 35,000 jobs, which was the largest gain of any state, while Maryland lost 5,000 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Alaska had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector at 20.4%. Over this period, the District of Columbia reported the largest decline of 3.3%.