Construction Jobs Gain in 38 States Y-O-Y

ARLINGTON, VA—As a measure of the pickup in development activity as the economic recovery begins gathering a little steam, the Associated General Contractors of America said Friday that construction firms added jobs in 38 states over the past 12 months. That report dovetails with the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book word on the subject, which uses the terms “moderate” and modest” to characterize the increases in both residential and commercial construction.

AGC’s analysis of US Labor Department data showed that job gains leveled off between February and March, with 25 states reporting monthly increases, compared to 30 states that saw increases from January to February. An AGC analysis reported earlier this month found that construction employment for February expanded year-over-year in 175 metro areas—down from the previous month’s Y-O-Y tally of 195—declined in 106 and was stagnant in 58 between February 2013 and February 2014. Employment levels remain below peak levels in all but 19 metro areas.