Dive Brief:
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Forty states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs in 2014, and 38 expanded their work forces between November and December, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America.
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Texas added the most construction jobs last year, followed by Florida, California, Illinois and Washington.
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On the other hand, Arizona lost the most jobs, followed by Mississippi, West Virginia and Ohio. Ten states shed construction jobs last year.
Dive Insight:
The gains in construction employment are consistent with predictions by the AGC and other industry groups that demand for skilled labor will continue to increase. Earlier this month, the AGC said 80% of contractors reported they plan to add new construction jobs in 2015.
In most areas of the country, however, that demand is outpacing contractors’ ability to hire because of a continuing, industry-wide labor shortage.
