Florida Construction News staff writer
Construction employment in Florida rose by 12,400 jobs (1.9 percent) from April 2024 to April 2025, as part of a broader national trend where 32 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs. However, only 24 states saw construction job gains from March to April, signaling a slowdown in growth.
“While many parts of the country continue to see growth in construction jobs, concerns about the economic impact of tariffs and broader market instability are limiting job creation in others,” said Macrina Wilkins, senior research analyst for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). “It remains to be seen whether this is just a temporary setback or the start of a more persistent slowdown.”
In the past year, 32 states and D.C. saw construction job increases, with 17 states losing jobs. Texas saw the largest job gain, adding 32,000 jobs (3.8 percent). Other states with notable gains include Ohio, which added 20,500 jobs (8.4 percent), and South Carolina, which grew by 8,500 jobs (7.3 percent). Florida was among the top five states for job growth, adding 12,400 jobs.
New Mexico led the nation in percentage gains, with a 14.6 percent increase, followed by Idaho (8.8 percent), Ohio (8.4 percent), and Kentucky (7.4 percent).
In April, 24 states experienced construction job increases, while 24 states and D.C. saw declines. California led the way with 6,300 new jobs (0.7 percent), followed by Texas (4,900 jobs, 0.6 percent) and Virginia (4,300 jobs, 1.9 percent).
Virginia had the largest percentage increase, followed by West Virginia (1.7 percent), Iowa (1.5 percent), and Maryland (1.1 percent).
However, Washington lost 3,300 jobs (-1.5 percent), the largest monthly decline, followed by Pennsylvania (-1,800 jobs) and Nevada (-1,400 jobs). Alaska saw the largest percentage loss with a 3.1 percent decrease.
The AGC remains optimistic that the construction industry will continue to grow. CEO Jeffrey Shoaf emphasized the need for federal investment in construction education, training, and workforce development. He also suggested that recent trade developments with the U.K. and China may alleviate some of the uncertainty regarding tariffs, potentially boosting the sector in the coming months.
Click the links to view April 2025 state employment data and 1-month, 12-month rankings, and peak comparison.
