Construction Jobs Build, But Labor’s Tight

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs in the year from August 2016 to August 2017, reports the Associated General Contractors of America, analyzing Labor Department data. Hiring likely would have been stronger if not for a shortage of workers.

Seventy percent of companies report having a hard time finding craft workers to hire. “Firms in most states are expanding their headcount to keep pace with growing demand for many types of construction projects,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the AGC. “While it is too early to tell what impacts Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will have on the sector’s workforce, there are not a lot of unemployed, experienced workers available to travel to Texas or Florida to help communities rebuild.”