For those interested in the construction industry, now is the time to join as the sector experienced a significant increase of 10,000 jobs in October across the U.S. Thirty-nine states saw some form of growth last month, 28 of which increased more than 2.1%.
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), nearly 150,000 residential and nonresidential construction sector jobs were added based on year-over-year (YOY) readings—a 2% bump over October 2018. Eleven states saw growth under 2.1%, while eight states reported a decline in job numbers and Colorado saw no change. Hawaii and Delaware did not provide construction employment data.
"Construction employment continues to experience robust growth in most parts of the country," said Associated General Contractors of America's chief economist, Ken Simonson, in its report. "Many firms appear to be overcoming the challenge of low unemployment rates and strong demand for labor by increasing compensation levels and investing more in training people with relatively little experience in construction."
ABC's analysis revealed most jobs were available in Texas at 51,400. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Louisiana had the most construction job losses at nearly 10,000.
—Andrew Michaels, editorial associate