The Associated General Contractors of America on Tuesday released its Labor Department data analysis, which shows the biggest increases and declines for the construction industry in 2015.
The District of Columbia and 44 states saw increases in construction jobs during 2015; D.C. and 39 states saw increases during November and December 2015.
States that saw declines in the construction industry have large energy-production sectors.
California added the most jobs in 2015, while Hawaii had the highest percentage of job growth. North Dakota experienced the largest annual decline.
“Construction employment expanded in most parts of the country last year as demand for new projects rebounded,” Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen Sandherr said. “The question now is whether declining energy prices will impact construction employment in a larger part of the country this year.”
Now experts are concerned that there are not enough skilled employees in the construction industry to keep up with the high demand for workers.
“Considering the fact construction employment is expanding in most parts of the country, it is easy to understand why many contractors are optimistic about 2016,” Sandherr said. “Yet the question all of us would like to answer is whether the broader market turmoil will drag down demand for construction this year.”
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