State-Level Analysis of Construction Sector Employment for January

A closer look at the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics nonfarm payroll report, with a focus on state-by-state construction employment and additional analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reveals that across the 48 states reporting construction sector jobs data (both residential and non-residential), 32 states saw month-over-month employment gains in January, while 17 states lost construction sector jobs. The two remaining entities—Missouri and the District of Columbia—reported no change on a month-over-month basis.

Overall, the construction industry added 19,000 jobs month-over-month in January. North Carolina led the way with 4,000 new construction jobs, while Illinois lost 5,300. In percentage terms, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Arkansas reported the highest increases of 2.3%, while Illinois reported the largest decline at 2.3%.

Year-over-year, US construction sector jobs increased by 218,000, a 2.8% increase. California led the way, adding 44,600 construction positions, while New York State posted a loss of 12,600. In percentage terms, South Dakota had the highest annual growth rate of 11.3%, while the District of Columbia reported the largest decline of 5.1% over the same time period.