Construction unemployment rates down from last year

In Dec. 2019, estimated not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates fell nationally in 24 states, rose in 25 states and were unchanged in New York on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

As of Dec. 2019, the construction industry employed 143,000 more workers nationally compared to Dec. 2018, while the national NSA construction unemployment rate decreased from 5.1 percent to 5 percent over the same period. This continues the trend of declining year-over-year growth in construction employment, though it was down only slightly from November’s increase.

“In December, most of the country experienced above-average temperatures, and the Southeast, from Texas through Florida, experienced significantly warmer than normal weather. That aided construction activity and employment,” says Bernard M. Markstein, president and chief economist of Markstein Advisors, who conducted the analysis for ABC. “Although the shortage of skilled construction workers appears to have eased somewhat, builders continue to indicate that the shortage is slowing their ability to complete existing projects and limiting their willingness to bid on new projects.”

The states with the lowest estimated NSA construction unemployment rates in order from lowest to highest were:

1. Florida, 2.4 percent

2. South Carolina, 2.6 percent

3. Colorado and Utah (tie), 2.7 percent

5. Maryland, 2.8 percent

The states with the highest estimated NSA construction unemployment rates in order from lowest to highest were:

46. Iowa, 9.8 percent

47. Montana, 9.9 percent

48. Alaska, 10.3 percent

49. Wyoming, 10.8 percent

50. West Virginia, 11.7 percent