Construction Sector Jobs Increase Nearly 3% Since August 2022

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and the District of Columbia in August compared to the previous month, while 17 states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 187,000 in August, following a gain of 157,000 jobs in July.

Year-over-year ending in August, 3.1 million jobs have been added, marking a more than full recovery of the labor market. Except for Mississippi and Rhode Island, all the other states and the District of Columbia added jobs compared to a year ago. The range of gains spanned 402,000 jobs in Texas to 1,400 jobs added in Vermont. Mississippi lost 700 jobs, while Rhode Island lost 6,900 jobs on a year-over-year basis. In percentage terms, Nevada reported the highest increase by 3.9%, while Rhode Island decreased by 1.4% compared to a year ago.

Construction sector jobs in the United States increased by 212,000 (2.7%) on a year-over-year basis. Texas added 21,100 jobs, while Missouri lost 2,700 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Wyoming had the highest annual growth rate (13%) in the construction sector, while North Dakota reported a decline of 3.8%.

On a month-over-month basis, the construction industry added a net 22,000 jobs in August compared to the previous month. NAHB Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington provides a breakdown of monthly data in this Eye on Housing post.