State-by-State Employment Data for February

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia in February compared to the previous month, while seven states saw a decrease. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 275,000 in February, following a gain of 229,000 jobs in January.

Across the nation, construction sector jobs data — which includes both residential and non-residential construction — showed that 31 states reported an increase in February compared to January, while 17 states lost construction sector jobs. The remaining three ‐ South Carolina, Vermont and the District of Columbia — reported no change on a month-over-month basis.

Overall, the construction industry added a net 23,000 jobs in February compared to the previous month. Texas added the most construction jobs (7,800), while California lost 9,600 jobs. In percentage terms, Alaska reported the highest increase at 4.9% and Minnesota reported the largest decline at 2.3%.

Year over year, construction sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 215,000, which is a 2.7% increase compared to the February 2023 level. Texas added 32,200 jobs, which was the largest gain of any state, while New York lost 19,000 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Alaska had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector at 15.6%. Over this period, North Dakota reported the largest decline of 5.7%.

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, provides more details on the overall job market in this Eye on Housing post.