CONSTRUCTION JOBS DECLINE IN 26 STATES BETWEEN MAY AND LAST MONTH; SECTOR’S EMPLOYMENT INCREASES IN 33 STATES AND D.C. FROM A YEAR AGO
Texas and South Dakota Experience Worst One-Month Declines, While California and Montana Top Lists of Gains;
Texas and New Mexico Have Highest Number and Percent of 12-Month Gains, While Washington Has Worst Losses
Construction employment declined between May and June in 26 states and the District of Columbia, while industry employment increased in 33 states and D.C. in June from a year earlier, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials urged policy makers to act quickly to expand worker authorization programs so the nation will have sufficient skilled construction workers to complete essential projects.
“For the first time since April 2024, construction employment slipped in a majority of states as aggressive deportation measures and a tightening of legal immigration have made it harder to fill construction job openings,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Without access to qualified workers, contractors will have trouble delivering vitally advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, power, and data center projects.”
For the month, industry employment declined in 26 states and D.C., increased in 21 states, and was unchanged in Hawaii, Mississippi, and New Hampshire. Texas lost the most construction jobs from May to June (-4,100 jobs or -0.5 percent), followed by Maryland (-2,400 jobs, -1.5 percent), Florida (-1,600 jobs, -0.2 percent), Nevada (-1,500 jobs, -1.4 percent), and Colorado (-1,300 jobs, -0.7 percent). South Dakota lost the highest percentage of jobs for the month (-1.6 percent, -500 jobs), followed by Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico (-1.3 percent, -800 jobs), and Delaware (-1.2 percent, -300 jobs).
California added the most construction jobs from May to June (3,800 jobs or 0.4 percent), followed by North Carolina (2,300 jobs, 0.8 percent), Minnesota (2,200 jobs, 1.6 percent), Wisconsin (2,100 jobs, 1.5 percent), and Georgia (1,800 jobs, 0.8 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Montana (1.9 percent, 700 jobs), followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Rhode Island (1.3 percent, 300 jobs), and Iowa (1.1 percent, 1,000 jobs).
Between June 2024 and June 2025, 33 states and D.C. added construction jobs, while 17 states shed jobs. Texas added the most construction employees (20,900 jobs or 2.4 percent), followed by Ohio (17,700 jobs, 7.2 percent), Michigan (11,000 jobs, 5.6 percent), North Carolina (10,200 jobs, 3.7 percent), and Virginia (9,600 jobs, 4.4 percent). New Mexico had the largest percentage gain over 12 months (14.8 percent, 7,900 jobs), followed by West Virginia (8.6 percent, 2,900 jobs), Idaho (8.1 percent, 5,800 jobs), Ohio, and Alaska (7.1 percent, 1,300 jobs).
Washington lost the most construction jobs from June 2024 to June 2025 (-11,300 jobs, -5.0 percent), followed by California (-9,700 jobs, -1.1 percent), New York (-8,500 jobs, -2.2 percent), New Jersey (-6,300 jobs, -4.8 percent), and Colorado (-5,100 jobs, -2.7 percent). The largest percentage loss was in Washington, followed by New Jersey, Nevada (-3.5 percent, -3,900 jobs), and Arkansas (-2.8 percent, -1,900 jobs).
“The administration can’t achieve its ambition of bringing back manufacturing jobs without enough construction workers with the right skills to build new plants and other structures needed to support them,” said Jeffrey Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “That can’t happen unless there are worker authorization programs that allow hiring construction workers on a timely basis.”