Statewide Florida construction employment declines
modestly in past year despite COVID-19 crisis
Florida Construction News staff writer
Despite the pain and economic
crisis caused by COVID-19, espe-
cially for the tourism and hospitality
sectors, Florida’s construction em-
ployment levels for the 12 months
ending in August have not fared so
badly. Data compiled from the US De-
partment of Labor by the Associ-
ated General Contractors of
America (AGCA) indicates that
statewide employment declined by
only about one percent, or 2,900,
and that several metropolitan areas
experienced a net growth in con-
struction jobs in the year.
For example, the small market
area of Panama City showed a 12
percent gain, causing it to rank as
the sixth most healthy construction
market in the nation, with a gain of
800 construction, mining and log-
ging jobs to 7,700. (In smaller mar-
kets, mining and logging are
lumped in with construction in the
overall totals.)
Conversely, some markets such
as Fort Lauderdale fared poorly —
that market area experienced an 11
percent decline to 44,600 jobs, a
loss of 5,400 jobs.
Nationally, construction employ-
ment decreased in 241, or 67 per-
cent, out of 358 metro areas
between August 2019 and last
month, AGC reported on Oct. 1. As-
sociation officials urged Congress
to pass new coronavirus relief
measures before leaving town.
“Although residential construc-
tion is picking up in many areas,
public and nonresidential construc-
tion are shrinking,” said Ken Simon-
son, the association’s chief
economist. “Project cancellations
are spreading, and fewer new proj-
ects are starting up. That combina-
tion makes further employment
declines inevitable unless the fed-
eral government steps up support
for infrastructure.”
4 – FALL 2020 — Florida Construction News
Here is the data by metropolitan area listed by area, industry, employ-
ment numbers for August 2019, numbers for Aug. 2020, the 12-month gain
or loss, the percentage change and the area’s ranking nationally.
Aug. 2019 Aug. 2020 GAIN/LOSS
RANK Statewide Construction
569,100 566,200 -2,900 -1%
Statewide Mining, Logging, and Construction
574,800 571,800 -3,000 -1%
Cape Coral-Fort Myers Mining, Logging, and Construction 32,800 33,700
900 3%
43 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin Mining, Logging,
6,900 7,000
100 1%
67 and Construction
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach Mining, Logging, 14,300 14,500
200 1%
67 and Construction
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield
50,000 44,600 -5,400 -11%
278 Beach Div.Construction
Gainesville Mining, Logging, and Construction
6,100 6,300
200 3%
43 Jacksonville Construction
46,600 46,800
200 0%
85 Lakeland-Winter Haven Mining, Logging, and Construction 14,500 15,500 1,000 7%
18 Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Div. Construction
53,900 54,600
700 1%
67 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island Mining, Logging,
17,600 18,500
900 5%
27 and Construction
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Mining, Logging,
26,400 26,200 -200 -1%
118 and Construction
Ocala Mining, Logging, and Construction
8,600 9,200
600 7%
18 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Construction
87,100 84,300 -2,800 -3%
147 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Mining, Logging,
15,600 16,600 1,000 6%
22 and Construction
Panama City Mining, Logging, and Construction
6,900 7,700
800 12%
6 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Mining, Logging,
12,400 12,400
0 0%
89 and Construction
Port St. Lucie Mining, Logging, and Construction
12,200 13,200 1,000 8%
14 Punta Gorda Mining, Logging, and Construction
4,300 4,300
0 0%
89 Sebastian-Vero Beach Mining, Logging, and Construction
4,500 4,400 -100 -2%
133 Tallahassee Mining, Logging, and Construction
9,100 9,400
300 3%
43 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Construction
81,100 82,500 1,400 2%
55 West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach
39,300 38,800 -500 -1%
118 Div. Construction