WASHINGTON – With 13.7 percent growth in construction jobs for the year ended Sept. 30, Rhode Island ranked second in the nation, beaten out for the top spot by only Oregon, which achieved construction job growth of 14.9 percent, according to an Associated General Contractors of America analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.
Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia added jobs over the year, while 14 lost construction jobs and one, Idaho, kept construction employment the same through September. While Rhode Island’s 2,500 additional construction jobs represented growth of 13.7 percent, Oregon added 13,500 jobs to reach its 14.9 percent growth mark. Following Rhode Island’s percentage growth were Nevada (12.6 percent growth, 9,700 jobs), and Louisiana and New Hampshire, both with 10.2 percent growth. The Granite state added 2,600 construction jobs.
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Maine ranked No. 8 in the nation with a 6.3 percent increase in construction jobs, adding 1,700 over the year. Massachusetts came in at No. 18, adding 6,200 jobs for percentage growth of 4.3 percent. Vermont added 200 construction jobs over the year, an increase of 1.3 percent, giving it a rank of No. 33 for percentage growth.
Connecticut had the third-largest percentage year-over-year decline in construction jobs among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in September, losing 4.3 percent, or 2,500 jobs.
The states with the largest number of new construction jobs were:
- California – 44,600 jobs, 5.7 percent increase
- Louisiana – 14,700, 10.6 percent increase
- Texas – 14,300, 2 percent increase
- Oregon – 13,500, 14.9 percent increase
- Florida – 12,700, 2.6 percent increase
“These reports suggest employment would be rising in more states if contractors could find enough qualified workers,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. In addition, he said, “contractors … expect to stay [busy] for the foreseeable future.”
Simonson did say that Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas and the Gulf of Mexico in August, probably helped create a significant recovery in Texas construction employment. At the same time, Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September and likely caused a strong but temporary decline in construction employment there.
