Half of US metro areas added construction jobs in the past year, led by Houston and Baton Rouge
Construction employment rose in 180 of 360 US metro areas in the 12 months through September 2026, fell in 118 and held flat in 62, the Associated General Contractors of America said, with Houston and Baton Rouge adding the most workers.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands added 13,800 construction jobs, up 5%, according to the AGC's analysis of federal data. Baton Rouge added 12,300, a 27% jump and the largest percentage gain. St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio, each added 10,700. Lafayette and Shreveport-Bossier City in Louisiana and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island also grew 14% or more.
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell lost the most, 5,100 jobs or 5%. Jersey City-White Plains lost 4,500, Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley 4,400, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 3,900 and Lakewood-New Brunswick, N.J., 3,600. Anchorage had the steepest percentage drop: 10%, or 1,400 jobs.
AGC chief economist Ken Simonson tied the gains to where data centers, large power projects and factories are going up, and said rising costs and political uncertainty have stalled demand for other work. The association said pricier materials and higher borrowing costs are leading developers to put off or scrap projects, and it asked Washington to rethink tariffs and pass a highway and transit bill that is past due.
The count of metros with gains is up from 173 in the 12 months through July and 177 in the 12 months through August, according to earlier AGC releases. Earlier this month the association reported year-over-year construction job gains in 34 states.
Why it matters: If your work is outside data centers, power and factories, expect more bidders per job in metros that are cutting construction payrolls. In Houston, Baton Rouge and Columbus, plan for a harder time staffing crews.
Sources
- Half of U.S. metro areas add construction jobsIn Business Madison, Oct 28
- One-half of metro areas add construction jobs over the past 12 months; data centers, power and factories drive demand as other areas shed jobsMecklenburg Times (AGC release), Oct 28