Texas added the most construction jobs (19,800 or 2.4%), followed by Florida (10,700, 1.7%), Ohio (8,400, 3.5%), South Carolina (8,100, 7.0%), and Idaho (7,700, 11%). Idaho had the largest percentage increase, followed by Kansas (8.5%, 5,700 jobs), South Carolina, and Mississippi (6.7%, 3,300).

California lost the most jobs (-27,600, -3.9%), followed by New York (-11,700, -3.0%), Arizona (-7,700, -3.4%), Massachusetts (-6,700, -3.9%), and Maryland (-6,000, -3.0%). Maryland had the largest percentage loss, followed by Massachusetts, Arizona, West Virginia (-3.2%, -1,100), and Iowa (-3.2%, -2,700).

For the month, 23 states added construction jobs, 21 states lost jobs, and there was no change in six states and D.C. Utah added the most jobs (3,300 or 2.4%), followed by Idaho (3,000, 4.0%), South Carolina (1,800, 1.5%), and Mississippi (1,800, 3.6%). Idaho had the largest percentage gain, followed by Mississippi and Utah. Florida lost the most jobs for the month (-5,100 jobs or -0.8%), followed by Virginia (-2,900, -1.3%), Colorado (-2,400, -0.3%), and New York (-2,400, -0.6%). Arkansas had the largest percentage job loss (-1.6%, -1,100), followed by 1.3% losses in Virginia, Colorado, Rhode Island (-300 jobs), and Connecticut (-800). (For D.C., Delaware, and Hawaii, BLS posts combined totals for mining, logging, and construction; AGC treats the changes as all from construction.)

Construction employment, not seasonally adjusted, rose y/y from January 2024 to January 2025 in 189 (53%) of the 360 metro areas (including divisions of larger metros) for which BLS posts construction employment data, fell in 104 (29%), and was unchanged in 67, according to an analysis AGC released today. (For most metros, BLS posts only combined totals for mining, logging, and construction; AGC treats these totals as construction-only.)

The largest job gains were in Boise, Idaho (4,400 combined jobs, 13%), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving (4,300 construction jobs, 3%) and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (4,000 construction jobs, 2%). Kokomo, Ind. had the largest percentage gain (38%, 600 combined jobs), followed by Battle Creek, Mich. (19%, 300 combined jobs) and Anniston-Oxford, Ala (17%, 200 combined jobs).

The largest losses occurred in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale division (-7,800 combined jobs, -5%), followed by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-6,500 construction jobs, -6%) and New York City (-4,700 combined jobs, -3%).

The largest percentage loss was in Elizabethtown, Ky. (-39%, -1,200 combined jobs), followed by Cleveland, Tenn. (-15%, -400 combined jobs). BLS made annual benchmarking revisions to past state and metro data but also added, renamed, or reclassified some metro areas and removed some from publication.

The value of construction starts, not seasonally adjusted, fell 19% y/y in February and 24% year-to-date (YTD) in the first two months of 2025 compared to January-February 2024, construction data provider ConstructConnect reported today.

Nonresidential building starts fell 24% y/y and 30% YTD, with commercial down 27% YTD, institutional down 13%, and industrial (manufacturing) down 79%. Heavy engineering (civil) starts rose 11.5% y/y but declined 6.1% YTD, with roads/highways up 0.4% YTD, water/sewage up 7.0%, bridges up 42%, and power and miscellaneous civil down 53%.

Housing starts (units) in February jumped 11% for the month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, reversing a similar decline in January, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. Starts slipped 2.9% y/y. Single-family starts rose 11% for the month but fell 2.3% y/y. Multifamily (five or more units) starts rose 12% for the month but fell 6.6% y/y. Residential permits slid 1.2% for the month and 6.8% y/y. Single-family permits declined 0.2% and 4.3%, respectively. Multifamily permits slumped 4.3% and 16%, respectively.

Lots of good data here. I wonder how many of the starts are fueled by data centers. But the housing and commercial construction continue to take a beating. Idaho is booming right now while democratic states are struggling to keep up.