A recent analysis from Associated General Contractors of America reports Phoenix lost 3,700 construction jobs between November 2023 and November 2024, a decline of 3%. Phoenix’s decline made it the fourth-highest market in the country for construction job losses.
Tucson lost a total of 100. Nationally, the sector added 10,000 in November, with 65% of markets seeing gains.
Houston led gaining metros in terms of individual positions, adding 16,100 for a 7% increase. Anchorage, Alaska saw the highest percentage increase, rising by 1,800 jobs for a 17% gain. Markets leading losses included New York City and Portland, Ore., dropping 7,800 and 4,200 jobs, respectively, for a loss of 5% in both metros. Sacramento–Roseville, Calif. led in terms of percentage losses, falling 6%, or 4,700 jobs.
AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson noted the longstanding challenge of finding hourly workers in skilled trades, and added the current political landscape could serve to increase the degree of difficulty. He cited the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which reported nearly a third of workers are not native to the U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to deport immigrants in the country illegally could hamper construction recruitment, Simonson said.
AGC CEO Jeffrey Shoaf urged federal officials to pass a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act measure and to double funding under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational & Technical Education Act to increase resources for vocational training, adding he believes even comparatively small funding increases can add many more workers to the construction labor pool. (Source)