Construction Hiring Eases in December with Some States Seeing Losses
The U.S. construction industry added 8,000 jobs in December and some 196,000 jobs over the course of 2024. But those numbers are down from November as more states saw losses in construction jobs.
Overall, the U.S. economy added 256,000 jobs in December, up from the 212,000 added in November. All states showed job growth except West Virginia, which was flat, and South Dakota, which registered a small drop in overall hiring.
The construction sector added a total of 8,000 last month, down from 10,000 in November. The data showed that 26 states reported an increase in December compared to November, while 20 states lost construction sector jobs, with the rest seeing flat results.
Washington, with the highest increase, added 4,000 construction jobs, while New York, on the other end of the spectrum, lost 4,400 jobs. In percentage terms, South Dakota reported the highest increase at 1.9%, and Mississippi reported the largest decline at 2.2%.
Year-over-year data showed an increase of 196,000 construction jobs in 2024. The year-over-year change dipped from November, which saw construction employment rise by 211,000 in the previous 12 months.
Texas added 31,500 construction jobs in 2024, which was the largest gain of any state, while California lost 12,400 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Alaska had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector at 18.9%. Over this period, West Virginia reported the largest decline of 3.4%.
Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, provides more in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy
Apr 21, 2025
NY Builders Provide Legislative Solutions to Support First-Time BuyersLeaders from the New York State Builders Association participated in a high-profile panel discussion addressing the challenges that hinder access to homeownership in the state, especially for first-time buyers and the minority community.
Economics
Apr 21, 2025
Remodelers: Tell Us How Rising Costs Are Impacting Your Bottom LineNAHB’s Economics team is in the process of measuring the impact of increased costs on remodelers’ profitability. And we need your help.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Apr 21, 2025
Who Influences the Purchasing of Building Products?In a previous post, NAHB analyzed where builders and remodelers purchased products, regardless of who ultimately purchases them (themselves or subcontractors). In this post, the question shifts to who is most often responsible for the choice of particular products.
Economics
Apr 18, 2025
State-Level Employment Situation: March 2025Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states and the District of Columbia in March compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 12 states. Wyoming reported no change during this time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 228,000 in March following a gain of 117,000 jobs in February.
Economics
Apr 17, 2025
Housing Starts Decline Amid Economic UncertaintyConstrained housing affordability conditions due to elevated interest rates, rising construction costs and labor shortages led to a reduction in housing production in March.