33 states add construction jobs between Jan. and Feb.

Dive Brief:

Construction employment increased in 33 states between January and February, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
An AGC analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data also showed that construction firms added jobs in 45 states and the District of Columbia between February 2014 and February 2015.
Texas added 44,600 construction jobs over the past year, more than any other state, the report showed. California, Florida, Washington and Colorado rounded out the Top 5 for job creation. Mississippi lost the most construction jobs during that period, followed by Indiana, West Virginia and Maine.

Dive Insight:

While construction employment continues to recover in many parts of the country, contractors struggle to fill the jobs they create.

Growing shortages of qualified construction workers are leaving jobs unfilled. And AGC’s CEO, Stephen Sandherr, noted that funding challenges and “expanding regulatory burdens” have joined continued labor shortages as the industry’s biggest challenges.