Construction Employment Decreases in 39 States Year-Over-Year in August

According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) analysis of government data, construction employment decreased in 39 states year-over-year (YOY) between August 2019 and August 2020. In spite of the widespread YOY employment decreases, 31 states and the District of Columbia added jobs between July and August of 2020. The AGC says the government employment data highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined demand for construction projects after the strong start in 2020. In a press release, AGC’s chief economist said, “The share of contractors that reported postponed or cancelled projects nearly doubled [between an AGC survey in mid-June and August] while the share who reported winning new or expanded work dropped nearly in half.