������˾��

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas and Baton Rouge, La. Have Largest Job Gains Over 12 Months; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. and Lawton, Okla. Have Worst Number and Percent of Job Losses

Construction employment increased in fewer than half—165 out of 360—of metro areas between June 2025 and June 2026, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that construction is either stagnant or declining in more than half of the nation’s metro areas amid uncertainties about materials prices, data center approvals, labor availability and future transportation funding.

“Resistance to new data centers, uncertainty about future federal transportation funding, the loss of workers involved in the Temporary Protected Status program and volatile materials prices are all making it hard for firms in many parts of the country to add workers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Unless they are quickly resolved, those market uncertainties will likely lead to restrained hiring for the foreseeable future.”

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas added the most construction jobs over the year (15,000 jobs or 6 percent), followed by St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (12,600 jobs, 16 percent); Baton Rouge, La. (10,200 jobs, 22 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. (8,200 jobs, 8 percent) and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C. (7,600 jobs, 9 percent). Baton Rouge had the largest percentage gain, followed by St. Louis; Mobile, Ala. (14 percent, 2,000 jobs); Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. (14 percent, 1,500 jobs) and Amherst Town-Northampton, Mass. (12 percent, 300 jobs).

Construction employment declined in 131 metro areas and was flat in 64 areas from June 2025 to June 2026. The largest job loss occurred in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. metro area (5,300 jobs, -5 percent), followed by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. (-5,100 jobs, -6 percent); the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. metro division (-4,300 jobs, -4 percent); the Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, Calif. division

(-4,100 jobs, -6 percent) and Pittsburgh, Pa. (-3,800 jobs, -6 percent). The steepest percentage loss occurred in Lawton, Okla. (-12 percent, -200 jobs), followed by Niles, Mich. (-9 percent, -200 jobs) and four areas with 7 percent losses: Fairbanks-College, Alaska (-200 jobs); Medford, Ore. (-400 jobs); Longview, Texas (-1,000 jobs); and Longview-Kelso, Wash. (-300 jobs).

Association officials urged federal officials to take steps to address market uncertainties. These measures include passing a new highway and transit bill before the current law expires at the end of September. Congress and the administration should work together to expand the construction workforce. Federal officials also need to resolve trade disputes that are prompting rapid changes in tariff levels. And federal officials should work to dispel much of the misinformation that currently exists about the impacts of data centers.

“Just as politics is creating market uncertainties that limit hiring, there are policy steps federal officials should take that will help,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “Passing the highway and transit bill, expanding the lawful workforce, dispelling data center misinformation and resolving trade disputes will help create more positive market conditions for construction employers.”

View the metro employment data by metro, rank and top 10 changes.