Construction Employment Rises in 39 States Over Last 12 Months Words: Dan Kamys According to analysis of Labor Department data released by the Associated General Contractors of America, 39 states added construction jobs between July 2015 and July 2016, while construction employment increased in only 23 states and the District of Columbia between June and July . Association officials said construction employment likely declined in many states as firms have growing difficulty locating qualified workers to hire. California added the most construction jobs (29,100 jobs, 4.0%) between July 2015 and July 2016. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months include Florida, Colorado and Iowa. Iowa added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Hawaii (12.9%, 4,500 jobs), Idaho and Colorado. Kansas lost the highest number of construction jobs (-4,400 jobs, -7.3%) for the year. Other states that lost jobs for the year include North Dakota, Alabama, Kentucky, Wyoming and Maine. Construction employment was unchanged for the year in the District of Columbia. Texas added the most construction jobs between June and July (7,800 jobs, 1.1%). Other states adding a high number of construction jobs for the month include Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and Colorado. Idaho added the highest percentage of construction jobs during the past month (4.6%, 1,900 jobs), followed by New Hampshire, Arkansas and Mississippi. Construction employment declined in 27 states during the past month and held steady in Alaska. Ohio shed more construction jobs than any other state (-3,600 jobs, -1.7%), followed by New Jersey, New York, Illinois and Louisiana. Delaware lost the highest percentage of construction jobs between June and July (-2.3%, -500 jobs), followed by New Jersey, Kentucky and Wyoming. For complete details and the full analysis, visit www.acg.org.