In recent years, financial commitment from the federal government to rebuild and expand critical American infrastructure has been a boon for the construction industry: federal funding announcements for infrastructure projects have totalled $552.8 billion as of June 2024. From building and expanding critical railroad corridors to securing clean water and broadband internet in rural communities, the American construction industry has its work cut out for it.

Despite these sizable financial commitments, the construction industry faces a major labor shortage. One construction industry trade association estimates the sector needs to hire over 500,000 workers to satisfy current demand in 2024.

However, while short- and long-term labor shortages persist at the national level, some parts of the country have seen substantial growth in construction hiring. Researchers calculated the percentage change in construction employment between 2018 and 2023, then ranked states accordingly.

These are the main takeaways from the study, highlighting some key stats for Georgia:

• Construction employment recovered after a brief but steep round of layoffs during COVID. However, hiring in the sector has plateaued while construction spending has continued to grow: since February 2020, national construction employment has increased by only 2.8%, while the annual rate of construction spending has risen by 44.4%.

• Many states with the most substantial construction employment gains have also experienced population increases, heightened demand for residential housing, and total employment growth as well.

• From 2018 to 2023, Georgia experienced an increase of 8.3% in its total employment.

• Over that same span, construction employment in Georgia fell 4.2%—the 6th largest decline in the country.

For the full report visit: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/cities-with-biggest-increase-in-construction-jobs