State-Level Construction Employment Analysis for July

A closer look at Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) July nonfarm payroll report, with a focus on state-level construction employment and analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reveals that across the US, construction sector jobs—including both residential and nonresidential—increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, while 16 states reported losses. The five remaining states reported no change on a month-over-month basis.

Overall, the construction industry added a net 25,000 jobs in July compared to the previous month.

Florida had the largest increase, adding 6,300 jobs, while New York, on the other end of the spectrum, lost 3,800. In percentage terms, Tennessee reported the highest increase at 3.3% and Arkansas reported the largest decline at 1.2%.

Year-over-year, the construction sector added 239,000 jobs, a 3.0% increase. Florida added 36,700 jobs, the largest gain of any state, while New York shed 8,100 positions. In percentage terms, Alaska had the highest annual growth rate in the sector at 19.9%, while Maine reported the largest decline of 4.1%.