California construction employment flat since start of pandemic: AGC

Statewide, California construction employment has been flat since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but results vary significantly in different communities, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America of government employment data.

For example, employment declined by 7 percent in Oakland/Haywood/Berkeley, for a loss of 7,200 jobs, while the Sacramento market saw a gain of 3,200 jobs, or about 5 percent. Los Angeles gained one percent in the 24 months between February 2020 and February 2020, for a gain of 1,000.

Here is the data based on numbers employed in February 2020, February 2022, the actual change, percentage change, and national ranking. Note that mining and logging are included with construction in several markets.

• Statewide Construction 892,300 889,800 -2,500 -0.3%
• Statewide Mining, Logging, and Construction 914,000 908,600 -5,400 -1%
• Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine Div. Construction 106,400 102,200 -4,200 -4% 295
• Bakersfield Construction 16,200 15,200 -1,000 -6% 321
• Chico Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,400 4,200 -200 -5% 311
• El Centro Mining, Logging, and Construction 2,000 1,900 -100 -5% 311
• Fresno Construction 19,200 19,800 600 3% 151
• Hanford-Corcoran Mining, Logging, and Construction 900 1,000 100 11% 33
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Div. Construction 153,400 154,400 1,000 1% 191
• Madera Mining, Logging, and Construction 2,000 2,200 200 10% 41
• Merced Mining, Logging, and Construction 3,200 3,200 0 0% 210
• Modesto Mining, Logging, and Construction 10,100 10,600 500 5% 102
• Napa Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,400 4,300 -100 -2% 274
• Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Div. Construction 75,400 70,200 -5,200 -7% 327 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura Construction 17,200 17,100 -100 -1% 254
• Redding Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,000 4,400 400 10% 41
• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Construction 108,900 108,300 -600 -1% 254
• Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade Construction 70,600 74,000 3,400 5% 102
• Salinas Construction 6,600 6,600 0 0% 210
• San Diego-Carlsbad Construction 84,000 83,200 -800 -1% 254
• San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco Construction 46,400 44,100 -2,300 -5% 311
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Construction 53,200 52,800 -400 -1% 254
• San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande Mining, Logging, and Construction 8,500 9,200 700 8% 59
• San Rafael Div. Construction 7,600 7,700 100 1% 191
• Santa Cruz-Watsonville Mining, Logging, and Construction 4,600 4,800 200 4% 123
• Santa Maria-Santa Barbara Construction 9,100 9,000 -100 -1% 254
• Santa Rosa Construction 16,700 16,100 -600 -4% 295
• Stockton-Lodi Construction 13,300 13,900 600 5% 102
• Vallejo-Fairfield Construction 11,900 11,900 0 0% 210
• Visalia-Porterville Mining, Logging, and Construction 6,500 7,400 900 14% 20
• Yuba City Mining, Logging, and Construction 2,800 2,800 0 0% 210

“The rebound in construction employment in most metros shows there is robust demand for infrastructure and nonresidential buildings, as well as housing,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But contractors in many areas say they would hire even more workers if there were enough qualified candidates.”

Nationally, there were 364,000 job openings in construction at the end of February—the most for any February since the government first compiled the data in 2001, Simonson noted. Openings exceeded the 342,000 workers hired by construction firms that month, which implies contractors wanted to hire twice as many employees as they were able to, he said.

Construction employment rose in 209 or 58 percent of 358 metro areas over the 24-month period. Salt Lake City, Utah added the most construction jobs (5,100 jobs, 11 percent), followed by Jacksonville, Florida (4,800 jobs, 10 percent); Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. (4,000 jobs, 8 percent); and Boise City, Idaho (3,800 jobs, 14 percent). Walla Walla, Wash. had the highest percentage gain (36 percent, 400 jobs), followed by Decatur, Ill. (32 percent, 900 jobs); Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem, Mass.-N.H. (24 percent, 800 jobs); and Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Ariz. (23 percent, 800 jobs).

Construction employment declined in 109 metro areas from the February 2020 level and was stagnant in 40 areas.

Association officials said they are taking steps to recruit more people into the industry, including with its “Construction is Essential” targeted digital advertising campaign and the “Culture of Care” program that it designed to help firms retain new workers. They urged public officials, however, to support those efforts by boosting investments in career and technical education programs focusing on construction.

“Career and technical education teaches essential skills and exposes a broader range of people to the many career opportunities available in construction,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “Helping encourage more people to pursue high-paying construction careers will keep America building and contribute to broader economic growth.”

View the metro employment data, rankings, top 10, and new highs and lows.