Texas Takes No. 2 Spot for Construction Employment Growth

Construction firms in Texas added 24,200 employees to their payrolls between August 2012 and August 2013, according to the latest analysis by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

In August 2012, the state’s construction industry was reporting a total of 587,100 employees. A year later, this sector had 611,300 employees — an increase of 4.1 percent.

Only California added more jobs than Texas over the 12 months ended Aug. 31, 2013. Construction firms in the Golden State added 29,100 employees to their payrolls.

California and Texas were two of 35 states that added construction jobs between August 2012 and August 2013, AGC reports. Another 14 states and the District of Columbia lost jobs. Employment levels were unchanged in one state, Vermont.

The fact that the majority of states are adding construction jobs is an encouraging sign, says AGC Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Sandherr. Alas, the road to recovery remains a long one.

“While we would all like to see even more robust growth, it is encouraging that most states have a larger construction workforce today than they did a year ago,” he says. “It will take a lot more growth, however, before construction employment levels return to their pre-recession levels in most places.”

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2013/09/texas-takes-no-2-spot-for.html