States For Most Construction Jobs
In the construction industry, jobs are hard to come by. But a June report released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) indicates that–at least in some states–it’s getting easier. In the report, the AGC finds that 20 states added new construction jobs. Over at the Software Advice website, I recently put together a report on what’s driving these trends and what skills are most useful to job seekers.
Source: AGC of America, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
According to AGC data, states with highest percentage of job gains are Montana and Wyoming which posted 12-month growth rates of 15.2 percent and 13.7 percent, respectively. At the opposite end of the spectrum are Alaska and Wisconsin with respective losses of 20 percent and 10.6 percent.
To find out what’s driving these job losses and gains, I recently caught up with AGC’s Chief Economist, Ken Simonson. In my conversation with Simonson, he highlighted three main drivers behind the current trends in construction employment:
- Low vacancy rates are spurring investment in apartment complex construction.
- The acceleration of natural gas extraction is fueling related construction job growth.
- Manufacturing investment is leading to new manufacturing facility construction.
So what kinds of jobs fit well with these market drivers? Below I’ll profile a few relevant professions currently in demand.
Apartment Complex Construction
Apartment construction requires nearly every kind of construction trade on the job. However, there are a few particular positions that are particularly high demand.
Carpenter: Naturally, carpenters are in high demand as more complexes are built and they’re needed for everything from framing to setting crown molding.
Millwork: The millwork trade is in high demand to produce the doors, crown moldings, window casings, etc. needed to finish an apartment.
Electrician: Electricians that are familiar with multi-family electrical wiring and know how to run standard power distribution to lighting and other outlets in apartments are needed to provide power to an apartment.
Natural Gas Extraction
The growth in natural gas extraction from underground shales is also supporting new construction jobs. The majority of these jobs involve heavy construction or civil engineering.
Earthwork and Excavation: The earthwork industry is needed on natural gas extraction for everything from mining the minerals that are used in extraction to clearing roadway to the drill site.
Civil Engineering: Of course, effectively planning these roadways requires civil engineers that can plan the infrastructure of these projects (ref.: P.J. Yttrup & Associates Pty. Ltd. for structural engineering in Melbourne).
Manufacturing Facilities
Construction jobs are also being supported by the uptick in domestic manufacturing, which is prompting manufacturers to build new facilities in the U.S. As a result, there are two main professions that are in high demand.
This is a very good article. I am a south Florida general contractor and Florida is definitely having a tough time getting the builder back to work. The size of the projects is getting smaller and smaller and it makes it hard to hire good help and keep them around very long.
It is very interesting to see that California is up 2%. I wouldn’t of thought that at all. As we work with all types of Local Contractors, this post can help them understand where they can work to increase profitability.