Florida construction industry sees robust job growth amid national trends

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Florida Construction News staff writer

The Florida construction sector is experiencing significant growth, according to a new analysis from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. From September 2023 to September 2024, the state added 37,100 construction jobs, reflecting a strong 5.9 percent increase. This positions Florida as the second-highest state for numerical job gains, following Texas, which added 42,300 jobs.

In a month-to-month comparison, Florida’s construction employment grew by 3,600 jobs, or 0.5 percent, from August to September 2024. This positive trend is part of a broader national pattern, with 40 states reporting increases in construction jobs during the past year.

Construction employment increased in 40 states in September from a year earlier, while 24 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between August and September, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the AGC recently. Association officials said even more states would have added workers if contractors could find enough qualified applicants.

“It is great that four out of five states have added construction jobs over the past year,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Even more states would be seeing gains if there were enough qualified workers available to fill job openings.”

However, the report also highlights a significant challenge: a shortage of qualified workers. Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noted that many states, including Florida, could have seen even greater job growth if there were enough skilled workers to fill available positions.

To address this workforce gap, industry officials are urging Congress to enhance funding for construction training and education programs. Key initiatives include the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Carl D. Perkins Technical Career and Technical Education Act.

New York lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-6,900 jobs, -1.8 percent), followed by Oregon (-4,800 jobs, -4.1 percent), Maryland (-4,600 jobs, -2.9 percent), Pennsylvania (-2,900 jobs, -1.1 percent), and Maine (-900 jobs, -2.6 percent). The largest percentage loss was in Oregon, followed by Maryland, Maine, Vermont (-1.9 percent, -300 jobs), and New York.

For the month, industry employment increased in 24 states and D.C., it declined in 23 states, and was unchanged in Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Texas added the most jobs (8,100 jobs or 0.9 percent), followed by Ohio (6,700 jobs, 2.7 percent), Florida (3,600 jobs, 0.5 percent), and South Carolina (2,900 jobs, 2.4 percent). Ohio had the largest percentage gain, followed by South Carolina, Nebraska (1.9 percent, 1,200 jobs), and Alaska (1.9 percent, 400 jobs).

Association officials are urging Congress to increase funding for construction workforce training and education programs to help address workforce shortages that are likely holding back employment growth in the sector. The two best opportunities for Congress to boost funding are in the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that funds workforce training programs and the Carl. D. Perkins Technical Career and Technical Education Act that funds in-school career and technical education programs.

“Enabling more people to learn about construction as a career opportunity is essential for filling the openings created by the many infrastructure, power, and manufacturing projects under way,” Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer, said. “Added funding for construction education and training will put more people into high-paying construction careers.”

View September 2024 state employment data and 1-month and 12-month rankings.

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