Recent data on construction employment suggests that improvements will continue and that the U.S. construction industry will expand even further in 2015.
Increases in construction employment were identified in more than 250 metropolitan areas around the country between December 2013 and December 2014, according to data from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
The AGC also reported that up to 80 percent of construction companies and contractors indicate that they intend to hire more employees in the coming year.
Increases in both private and public sector construction projects are fueling the boosts in construction employment. Favorable weather patterns in different parts of the country also contributed to the increase in construction projects and associated employment.
The AGC data showed that Texas was the most prolific area for new construction jobs in the year between December 2013 and December 2014. In the Dallas-Plano-Irving area, for example, more than 15,000 construction jobs were added. The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area of Texas saw an increase of nearly 15,000 jobs.
Other areas of the country that saw significant construction job growth were the Chicago, Joliet and Naperville areas of Illinois, with 11,000 jobs added, and the Seattle, Bellevue and Everett areas of Washington, with 8,700 new jobs.
The AGC also noted that construction employment decreased in 43 metropolitan areas and remained stagnant in another 39 cities.
Despite an overall positive outlook for the construction industry in the near term, industry sources warn that political gridlock or other issues that prevent government spending on infrastructure repairs and improvements could restrict the upward trend in construction employment growth.
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