State-Level Review of Construction Sector Employment in February

A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics nonfarm payroll report for February—with a focus on the construction sector employment at the state level and further analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)—reveals that across the 48 states which reported construction sector data (including both residential and non-residential construction) 24 states reported an increase in February compared to January, while 19 states lost construction sector employment. Five states remained unchanged.

Compared to January, the overall construction industry added a net 24,000 jobs in February. In percentage terms, Rhode Island led the way with an increase of 1.7%, while Iowa reported a 1.9% decline.

Year-over-year, US construction sector jobs have increased by 249,000, or 3.2%. Texas led the way adding 37,900 new construction sector jobs, while West Virginia shed 2,200 jobs. Rhode Island had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector, increasing by 12.4%. Conversely, West Virginia reported a 6.5% decline.