State-Level Analysis of Construction Sector Employment for May

A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May total nonfarm payroll report, focused on state-by-state construction jobs, with additional analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reveals that across the 48 states which reported construction job data (both residential and non-residential construction), 23 states reported an increase in May compared to April, while 21 states lost construction sector jobs. On a month-over-month basis, Alaska, Kansas, Maine, and West Virginia reported no change.

California led the 48 reporting states adding 6,500 construction jobs, while Indiana reported shedding 2,500 jobs. Overall, the construction industry added 25,000 net jobs in May when compared to April. In percentage terms, Louisiana increased by 1.3%, while Rhode Island reported a decline of 4.9% month-over-month in May.

Year-over-year, the construction job sector in the US increased by 192,000 jobs—a 2.5% increase when compared to May 2022. Texas added 21,100 jobs, which was the largest gain of any state, while Colorado lost 1,800 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Arkansas had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector at 10.2%, while Connecticut reported a 2.6% loss during the same time period.