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Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

Construction employment rises in response to labor shortages

Posted on September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Construction employment rises in response to labor shortages
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Construction employment rises in response to labor shortages

CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT INCREASES IN 274 OUT OF 358 METRO AREAS BETWEEN AUGUST 2016 AND 2017 AS FIRMS WORK TO COPE WITH GROWING LABOR SHORTAGES

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. and Lewiston, Idaho-Wash. Have Largest Year-over-Year Gains; Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas and Columbia, S.C. Experience Biggest Annual Declines

Construction employment increased in 274 out of 358 metro areas between August 2016 and August 2017, declined in 52 and stagnated in 32, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the construction job gains come even as 70 percent of responding firms reported having a hard time finding qualified craft workers to hire.

“While many firms’ efforts to increase pay, add benefits and expand the diversity of their workforce appear to be helping, it is still a challenge for many contractors to keep pace with demand,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “It is not yet entirely clear how reconstruction work in Texas and Florida following the two recent hurricanes will impact already tight construction labor markets.”

Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. added the most construction jobs during the past year (15,800 jobs, 17 percent), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (11,000 jobs, 8 percent); Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev. (10,900 jobs, 20 percent); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. (8,500 jobs, 13 percent) and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (7,400 jobs, 10 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Lewiston, Idaho-Wash. metro area (27 percent, 400 jobs) followed by Lake Charles, La. (23 percent; 4,800 jobs); Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich. (20 percent, 4,400 jobs); Las Vegas; Killeen-Temple, Texas (17 percent, 1,600 jobs) and Riverside, Calif.

The largest job losses from August 2016 to August 2017 were in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (-4,500 jobs, -2 percent), followed by Columbia, S.C. (-3,900 jobs, -23 percent); Orange-Rockland-Westchester, N.Y. (-2,500 jobs, -6 percent); San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (-2,300 jobs, -4 percent) and Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (-1,900 jobs, -5 percent). The largest percentage decreases for the year were in Columbia, S.C.; followed by Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn. (-22 percent, -1,100 jobs); Danville, Ill. (-17 percent, -100 jobs) and Trenton, N.J. (-9 percent, – 500 jobs).

Association officials said that construction demand remains relatively robust in many parts of the country. They cautioned, however, that the challenge many construction firms are having finding qualified craft workers likely means the industry would have added more jobs in many parts of the country. And they noted that unless federal, state and local officials act on measures outlined in the association’s Workforce Development Plan, firms may opt to delay construction schedules or chose not to bid on projects as labor shortages become more acute.

“The shortage of available, qualified craft workers is clearly having an impact on the way many firms operate,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “And if these shortages continue, they are likely to have a significant impact on overall economic growth.”

View the metro employment data by rank and state. View metro employment map.

Road construction concrete pavement. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Road construction concrete pavement. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Road construction concrete pavement worker. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Road construction concrete pavement worker. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

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Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

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