The Best States to Find Construction Jobs

According to the data collected from the US Bureau of Labor statistics, recently, the US construction industry has lost almost 1.5% of its workforce. However, the US construction industry still has a workforce of over 5.8 million people. Considering the thousands of open positions that construction companies are trying and failing to fill there is no doubt that the construction industry is still a job hunter’s market. Recent employment data has also indicated that it will remain so even in the coming year. The industry keeps on adding thousands of new job openings every month and the unemployment rate in the industry has also gone down from the previous year. A year ago, the unemployment rate in the construction industry was at 4.5% whereas this year it stood at 3.4% in September. 

U.S. States with the Most Construction Jobs

Throughout the country there are new jobs being created in the construction sector. In the months of July and August we saw an increase in employment in 31 states and the employment continued to increase from August to September across 32 states. A lot of contractors stated that if more people were available, they would have hired them as well. 

The chief executive officer of the AGC, Stephen, expressed his delight at seeing construction employment expand in so many states. Stephen also said that it is hard not to imagine what the gains would have been like if contractors were able to find enough workers. According to a recent agency survey over 90% of firms are finding it difficult to hire enough workers. As per the data collected by BLS the following ten states are the ones with the most construction jobs.

California, Texas, and Florida in the Lead

California takes the lead with around 663,570 construction jobs, followed by Texas with 568,930 construction jobs and Florida takes the third place with around 398,060 jobs.

Other states with the most construction jobs include New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia and Washington. 

Another important thing to note is that most of the states with the highest number of construction jobs are not necessarily among the best paying states. The average wage in Texas, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia is below the national average so when you are looking for a job in a heavy equipment company in the construction industry you should also consider the earning potential and do not just focus on the job market.

U.S States that Offer the Best Wages

Some states pay construction workers higher wages than others due to a number of different reasons. Irrespective of what those reasons are knowing which states pay the best will help you in making a decision regarding where to work. The following are ten of the highest paying U.S. states for construction workers.

Hawaii, New Jersey, Alaska, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Washington, California, District of Columbia, and Connecticut.

These are some of the highest paying states for construction workers and while their average wages may shift with new industry trends, they remain the states with the most growth potential. There are a lot of other growth opportunities available in the construction industry right now along with outstanding wages. So, if you are thinking about building a career in the construction industry, now is the right time to get started.