Great disparities in construction employment changes by Florida metropolitan areas: AGC

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Florida’s construction employment changes have varied significantly by metropolitan market area in the past 12 months, ranging from an 11% increase in Sebastian-Vero Beach , to a loss of 1% in the Miami area.

The data comes from an by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America of government employment data released on Nov. 30.

Overall, the state gained 17,600 construction jobs in the months between Oct., 2020 and Oct. 2021, an increase of 3%.

Compared to other communities, Sebastian-Vero Beach ranked 16th in the nation with its gain of 500 jobs. Miami lost 700 jobs, ranking 291th nationally.

Here is a detailed breakdown, the number of jobs in Oct. 2020, 2021, the net change and the percentage ranking:

  • Statewide Construction 562,600 580,200 17,600 3%
  • Statewide Mining, Logging, and Construction 567,900 585,900 18,000 3%
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers Mining, Logging, and Construction 34,700 36,000 1,300 4% 137
  • Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,700 7,000 300 4% 137
  • Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach Mining, Logging, and Construction 14,700 15,100 400 3% 168
  • Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach DivConstruction 48,100 51,900 3,800 8%
  • 38 Gainesville Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,000 6,500 500 8% 38
  • Jacksonville Construction 46,800 51,600 4,800 10% 21
  • Lakeland-Winter Haven Mining, Logging, and Construction 15,200 15,600 400 3% 168
  • Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Div. Construction 53,100 52,400 -700 -1% 291
  • Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island Mining, Logging, and Construction 17,800 18,100 300 2% 201
  • North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Mining, Logging, and Construction 26,800 28,400 1,600 6% 78
  • Ocala Mining, Logging, and Construction 8,600 9,100 500 6% 78 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Construction 81,700 88,100 6,400 8% 38
  • Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Mining, Logging, and Construction 16,800 16,800 0 0% 237
  • Panama City Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,800 7,200 400 6% 78
  • Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Mining, Logging, and Construction 11,700 12,600 900 8% 38
  • Port St. Lucie Mining, Logging, and Construction 12,200 13,400 1,200 10% 21
  • Punta Gorda Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,600 4,700 100 2% 201
  • Sebastian-Vero Beach Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,400 4,900 500 11% 16
  • Tallahassee Mining, Logging, and Construction 8,100 8,600 500 6% 78
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Construction 83,400 86,600 3,200 4% 137
  • West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach Div. Construction 37,900 39,600 1,700 4% 137

Nationally, nearly two out of three U.S. metro areas added construction jobs between October 2020 and October 2021, AGC reports. Association officials noted that the job gains would likely have been larger and more widespread if firms weren’t dealing with the twin challenges of supply chain problems and labor shortages.

“While it is heartening that construction is recovering from the lows of 2020 in much of the country, the pandemic is still causing major supply-chain problems and is keeping some workers from seeking employment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Those impediments threaten to limit construction employment gains in many metros.”

Construction employment increased in 236 or 66 percent of 358 metro areas over the last 12 months. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, Calif. added the most construction jobs (6,800 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. (6,600 jobs, 9 percent); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. (6,400 jobs, 9 percent); Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (5,500 jobs, 5 percent); and Pittsburgh, Pa. (5,200 jobs, 7 percent). Worcester, Mass. had the highest percentage increase (20 percent, 2,000 jobs), followed by Sioux Falls, S.D. (19 percent, 800 jobs); Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas (19 percent, 3,200 jobs); Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (16 percent, 800 jobs) and Sierra Vista-Douglas, Ariz. (15 percent, 500 jobs).

Construction employment declined from a year earlier in 72 metros and held steady in 50. Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. lost the most jobs (-6,700 or -8 percent), followed by New York City (-5,500 jobs, -3 percent); Orange-Rockland-Westchester counties, N.Y. (-3,600 jobs, -8 percent); Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (-2,800 jobs, -2 percent) and Calvert-Charles-Prince George’s counties, Md. (-2,600 jobs, -8 percent). The largest percentage declines were in Evansville, Ind.-Ky. (-17 percent, -1,700 jobs); Altoona, Pa. (-13 percent, -400 jobs); Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. (-11 percent, -200 jobs); and Gary, Ind. (-10 percent, -1,700 jobs).

Association officials urged the Biden administration to continue working to reduce tariffs on key construction materials, and to take additional steps to ease supply chain problems at ports and other shipping facilities. They added that the association was working to recruit more people into the construction industry, and the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill should send a positive message to many workers about the expanding career opportunities in construction.

“Firms are struggling to source materials for projects, coping with rising prices for those materials, all while eagerly searching for workers to put those materials in place,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “We are eager to work with public officials to address supply chain challenges even as we work to recruit more people into high-paying construction careers.”

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