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Construction Industry Jobs on the Rise in the U.S. Adapted from Information by the Associated General Contractors of America According to the latest analysis of Labor Department data released by the Associated General Contractors of America, 39 states added construction jobs between July 2015 and July 2016. Association officials said construction employment may have declined in some states due to the difficulties asso- ciated with locating qualified workers. "Depending on market segment and geography, many firms report they are having a hard time finding enough workers to keep pace with de- mand," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer for the association. "While there is slack in key segments like infra- structure and parts of the country that are struggling economically, many of these declines likely have more to do with firms not being able to find workers than not being able to find work." California added the most construction jobs (29,100 jobs, up 4%) while other states which added a high number of new construc- tion jobs include Florida (26,400 jobs, 6.1%), Colorado (16,100 jobs, 10.9%) and Iowa (12,800 jobs, 16.5%). The state with the highest percentage of new construction jobs during this time frame was Iowa, followed by Hawaii, Idaho, and Colorado. On the flip side, Kansas lost the highest number of construction jobs (-4,400 jobs, -7.3%) during the one-year period. Other states which noted decreases include North Dakota (-2,900 jobs, -8.5%), Alabama (-2,400 jobs, -3%), Kentucky (-2,300 jobs, -3%), Wyoming (-1,700 jobs, -7.5%), and Maine (-1,500 jobs, -5.7%). It’s also interesting to note, construction employment was unchanged for the year in the District of Columbia. Association officials said construction firms working on infrastructure projects, or in parts of the country where the economy is not growing are still struggling to find work. However, firms working with private com- mercial developments in states where the economy remains robust, continue to worry about finding qualified workers. "What is clear from the data is there is not one single labor market for the construction industry. Where demand is strong, labor is tight, and where demand is weak, labor conditions are better," concluded Sandherr. ! " # ! 10 OCTOBER 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®