By Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington in NAHB
Across the 48 states which reported construction sector jobs data—which includes both residential as well as non-residential construction— 25 states reported an increase in October compared to September, while 19 lost construction sector jobs. Four states, Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, and Rhode Island reported no change. New York added 4,500 construction jobs while Pennsylvania lost 3,500 jobs. Overall, the construction industry added a net 1,000 jobs in October compared to the previous month. In percentage terms, North Dakota increased by 2.0% while Louisiana reported a decline of 2.7% between September and October.
Year-over-year, construction sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 266,000, which is a 3.6% increase compared to the October 2021 level. Texas added 41,600 jobs, which was the largest gain of any state, while Louisiana lost 9,000 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, North Dakota had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector by 20.8%. Over this period, Louisiana reported a decline of 6.8%.