24 states show construction job increases

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia in September compared to the previous month, while eight states saw a decrease, according to analysis from the National Association of Home Builders. Nevada reported no change. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 254,000 in September, following a gain of 159,000 jobs in August.

On a month-over-month basis, employment data was most favorable in Texas, which added 29,200 jobs. New Jersey came in second (+19,200), followed by Florida (+17,000). A total of 17,400 jobs were lost across eight states, with Iowa reporting the steepest job losses at 4,800. In percentage terms, employment increased the highest in Idaho at 0.7%, while Iowa saw the biggest decline at 0.3% between August and September.

Year-over-year ending in September, 2.4 million jobs have been added to the labor market across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The range of job gains spanned from 2,000 jobs in Louisiana to 327,400 jobs in Texas. In percentage terms, the range of job growth spanned 3.4% in Idaho to 0.1% in Louisiana.

Across the nation, construction sector jobs data   —which includes both residential and non-residential construction—showed that 24 states and the District of Columbia reported an increase in September compared to August, while 23 states lost construction sector jobs. The three remaining states reported no change on a month-over-month basis. Texas, with the highest increase, added 8,100 construction jobs, while Tennessee, on the other end of the spectrum, lost 1,600 jobs. Overall, the construction industry added a net 25,000 jobs in September compared to the previous month. In percentage terms, Ohio reported the highest increase at 2.7% and North Dakota reported the largest decline at 2.1%.

Year-over-year, construction sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 238,000, which is a 3.0% increase compared to the September 2023 level. Texas added 42,300 jobs, which was the largest gain of any state, while New York lost 6,900 construction sector jobs. In percentage terms, Alaska had the highest annual growth rate in the construction sector at 21.1%. Over this period, Oregon reported the largest decline of 4.1%.