Construction employment levels change vary around the the state: AGC data

Florida communities have seen varying levels of construction employment change in the past year. Some, like the Miami area, have seen a sharp decline (6%) while others have thrived. For example, construction employment increased by 11% in Fort Meyers.

Overall the state gained 2% in construction jobs, an increase of about 12,000.

Here is the data by metro area, compiled by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America from government data on Sept. 29. The numbers indicate employment levels in August, 2020, August, 2021, the actual change, and the percentage difference.

• Statewide Construction 561,200 573,100 11,900 2%
• Statewide Mining, Logging, and Construction 566,600 578,700 12,100 2%
• Cape Coral-Fort Myers Mining, Logging, and Construction 32,800 36,400 3,600 11% 18
• Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,900 7,100 200 3% 180
• Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach Mining, Logging, and Construction 13,900 15,000 1,100 8% 54
• Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach Div.Construction 48,700 50,600 1,900 4% 149
• Gainesville Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,000 6,400 400 7% 68
• Jacksonville Construction 45,800 49,400 3,600 8% 54
• Lakeland-Winter Haven Mining, Logging, and Construction 14,900 15,700 800 5% 110
• Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Div. Construction 52,900 49,700 -3,200 -6% 343
• Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island Mining, Logging, and Construction 17,200 18,000 800 5% 110
• North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Mining, Logging, and Construction 26,500 27,800 1,300 5% 110
• Ocala Mining, Logging, and Construction 8,600 8,900 300 3% 180
• Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Construction 81,600 85,100 3,500 4% 149
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Mining, Logging, and Construction 16,400 17,200 800 5% 110
• Panama City Mining, Logging, and Construction 7,000 7,300 300 4% 149
• Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Mining, Logging, and Construction 12,000 12,500 500 4% 149
• Port St. Lucie Mining, Logging, and Construction 12,400 13,800 1,400 11% 18
• Punta Gorda Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,400 4,600 200 5% 110
• Sebastian-Vero Beach Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,400 4,800 400 9% 37
• Tallahassee Mining, Logging, and Construction 8,500 8,500 0 0% 257
• Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Construction 84,400 87,300 2,900 3% 180
• West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach Div. Construction 37,800 39,000 1,200 3% 180

Nationally, nearly one-third of U.S. metro areas lost construction jobs between August 2020 and August 2021, according to the AGC analysis.

Association officials noted that the job losses are occurring as the fate of a bipartisan infrastructure bill that would boost demand for construction remains uncertain in the U.S. House of Representatives.“While construction activity has rebounded from pandemic lows in many metros, the recovery is fragile,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Extreme production and delivery delays, along with continuing high materials costs, may lead to project cancellations and postponements that cut into job gains.”

Construction employment declined from a year earlier in 65 metros and held steady in 37. New York City lost the most jobs (-8,600 jobs or -6 percent), followed by Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. (-5,100 jobs, -6 percent); Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla. (-3,200 jobs, -6 percent); Calvert-Charles-Prince George’s, Md. (-2,400 jobs, -7 percent) and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (-2,300 jobs, -1 percent). The largest percentage declines were in Evansville, Ind.-Ky. (-14 percent, -1,400 jobs); Tuscaloosa, Ala. (-12 percent, -800 jobs); Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. (-11 percent, -200 jobs); Morristown, Tenn. (-10 percent, -200 jobs); Victoria, Texas (-9 percent, -300 jobs) and Gadsden, Ala. (-9 percent, -100 jobs).

Construction employment increased in 256 out of 358 metro areas over the last 12 months. San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif. added the most construction jobs (8,900 jobs, 11 percent; followed by Sacramento-Roseville–Arden-Arcade, Calif. (8,600 jobs, 12 percent); Pittsburgh, Pa. (7,200 jobs, 12 percent); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. (6,300 jobs, 9 percent) and St. Louis, Mo. (6,300 jobs, 9 percent). Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, Mass. had the highest percentage increase (26 percent, 900 jobs); followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas (23 percent, 3,600 jobs); Bloomington, Ill. (17 percent, 500 jobs); and Sierra Vista-Douglas, Ariz. (16 percent, 500 jobs).

Association officials urged members of both parties in the House to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, noting its new funding was needed to modernize the nation’s aging highways and transit systems. They noted the measure is slated for a vote this Thursday and cautioned that the industry was likely to lose more construction jobs without the measure.

“This is the kind of infrastructure bill that Democrats and Republicans have been promising to pass for years now,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “Failing to pass this measure will create new challenges for the economy.”