NAHB’s analysis of November regional employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that states with the highest annual growth rates of total construction employment are Nevada (11.72%), Iowa (10.21%), and Washington (9.41%). The total number of workers in construction reached 6.7 million nationwide, up by 2.72% annually.  At the same time, the largest annual construction jobs gains took place in California (35,100), Florida (23,200), and Colorado (12,800).

Thirty-four states experienced positive year-over-year changes in construction employment in November. On a month-over-month basis, around 60% of states reported gains in construction employment in November, with the largest increases registered by Montana (8.47%).

The number of new residential housing starts depends on both supply and demand considerations. Housing supply is dependent, in part, on the ability of builders to obtain and contract with workers.

Regional employment is an important element of determining housing demand. The BLS state level data suggest that all but eight states reported an annual gain in payroll employment, with the exception of Mississippi, New Mexico, Kansas, Louisiana, Alaska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Wyoming. The top three states with the largest gains include Florida (3.22%), Washington (3.06%), and Utah (3.02%).