Construction Jobs, by the Numbers

As we head into a new year, we must first take a pulse of where we have been so we hopefully can identify where we are going. This will be key for the construction industry, as we ramp up the anticipated work in the year ahead. So, let’s take a moment to assess exactly what is happening. Construction is adding work—and jobs—but contractors are still struggling to fill all the open jobs. Seems a bit screwy right?

The most recent numbers are very revealing. Work is rising. Construction employment rose in 238—or 66%—of 358 metro areas between October 2023 and October 2024. Meanwhile construction employment declined in 73 metro areas and was unchanged in 47 metro areas. Again, makes you wonder why we cannot get this moving forward.

The AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) suggests companies are continuing to boost pay rates at record ...