NC construction jobs decline

North Carolina lost 1,300 construction jobs in August when compared with July, a 0.7 percent decrease that ranked the state 36^th in the monthly percentage change in construction employment among the United States and Washington, D.C., according to a report by the Associated General Contractors of America based on U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

The state employed 180,100 construction workers in August, compared with 181,400 in July. But the number of jobs in August was higher than in June, at 178,800, and August 2013, when there were 173,400 jobs. The 12-month gain of 3.9 percent ranked that state 20^th in growth over the year.

Nationally, construction firms added jobs in 36 states year over year, while only 28 added jobs between July and August.

“The number of states with increases in construction employment over the last 12 months moderated in August but remained strongly positive as construction activity continues to spread across most of the nation,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, in a statement accompanying the data. “While most states remain far below pre-recession peak employment levels, more states are approaching previous highs and more contractors have been reporting difficulty in hiring qualified workers. These trends are likely to intensify if the recovery in construction continues.”

The states adding the highest number of jobs added between August 2013 and August 2014 were Florida, California, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Nevada, Florida, Utah, Delaware and North Dakota added the highest percentage of jobs.

Twelve states and D.C. lost jobs over the past year. New Jersey lost the highest percentage, followed by Mississippi, West Virginia and Arizona.

Month over month, Nebraska added the highest percentage of jobs, followed by Maine, North Dakota and Alaska. South Dakota lost the highest percentage of jobs during that time, followed by Mississippi, Idaho and Ohio.