Construction Jobs by State: 34 States Up Year Over Year in September

Construction jobs by state rose year over year in 34 states and the District of Columbia in September 2026, but only 25 states added jobs from August, according to an Associated General Contractors of America analysis of new federal data. Louisiana led the nation with 18,800 more construction jobs than a year earlier, a 13.9 percent gain, while Georgia posted the largest loss (Mecklenburg Times; NAHB Eye on Housing).

What Happened

The state figures follow the national September jobs report, which showed construction adding 11,000 jobs in the month and 109,000 jobs, or 1.3 percent, over the prior 12 months. Total nonfarm payrolls rose 29,000 in September after a 133,000 gain in August (NAHB Eye on Housing). We covered the national release in Construction Adds 11,000 Jobs in September 2026 as Data Center Trades Lead.

Across the states, construction employment rose from September 2025 to September 2026 in 34 states and D.C., fell in 14 and was unchanged in Kentucky and Vermont. From August to September, 25 states added construction jobs, 21 lost jobs, and Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Maine and D.C. were unchanged (Mecklenburg Times).

Construction Jobs by State: Year Over Year

Largest gains

• Louisiana: up 18,800 jobs (13.9 percent), the largest gain in both number and percentage
• North Carolina: up 15,900 (5.7 percent)
• Ohio: up 15,100 (5.8 percent)
• Texas: up 15,000 (1.7 percent)
• Illinois: up 14,300 (6.0 percent)
• Nebraska: up 4,900 (7.6 percent); Kansas up 4,300 (5.8 percent); Wyoming up 1,900 (8.4 percent)

Largest losses

• Georgia: down 4,900 jobs (2.1 percent), the largest numerical loss
• California: down 4,800 (0.5 percent)
• Virginia: down 3,200 (1.4 percent)
• New Jersey: down 3,100 (1.9 percent)
• Michigan: down 3,000 (1.5 percent)
• Alaska: down 1,000 (5.3 percent), the steepest percentage decline; West Virginia down 1,400 (4.0 percent); New Hampshire down 700 (2.2 percent)

All figures above are from AGC's analysis as reported by the Mecklenburg Times.

Month Over Month: Gains Narrow

Oregon added the most construction jobs from August to September, 2,000 (1.8 percent), followed by Colorado (1,900), Washington (1,500), Illinois (1,300) and South Carolina (1,300). Rhode Island had the largest percentage gain at 2.2 percent. Wisconsin lost the most, 3,300 jobs (2.1 percent), followed by Ohio (3,100), Texas (2,400) and California (1,900). Alaska had the steepest monthly percentage decline at 3.3 percent (Mecklenburg Times; Hardware Retailing).

Ohio and Texas show how mixed the picture is. Both rank among the top five for year-over-year gains, yet both lost thousands of construction jobs in September alone.

What AGC Says Is Driving It

AGC chief economist Ken Simonson said job gains were limited to half the states in the latest month, and that some states still see strong demand, particularly for data centers, while demand elsewhere is weaker. "Politics and prices are having an impact on demand for construction in parts of the country," said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association's CEO (Mecklenburg Times).

Association officials pointed to rising material prices, tariffs, conflict in the Middle East and uncertainty over the surface transportation bill and data center construction. Shoaf called on public officials to pass a new highway and transit bill, create a path for responsible data center construction and resolve the trade disputes behind new tariffs (Mecklenburg Times).

New York and Florida

Neither AGC's published summary nor NAHB's state analysis reports September construction figures for New York or Florida. NAHB did report that New York led all states in total nonfarm job gains for the month, adding 19,600 jobs across all industries (NAHB Eye on Housing). For metro-level detail, our earlier post on August construction employment in Rochester and Tampa covers both the Rochester and Tampa metros.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Labor markets are local. A 13.9 percent jump in Louisiana and declines in Georgia and Virginia mean crew availability and wage pressure vary widely from one state to the next.
• Watch monthly swings. Strong annual numbers in states like Ohio and Texas can hide recent softening, which can open up subcontractor capacity on short notice.
• Policy matters for backlog. AGC ties the slowdown to tariffs, prices and federal funding uncertainty, all of which affect bid timing on public and private work.

What to Watch

• October state employment data and whether more than half of states return to monthly gains.
• Action on the surface transportation reauthorization that AGC is urging.
• Whether data center demand continues to concentrate hiring in a handful of states.

Bottom Line

Most states still employ more construction workers than a year ago, but September showed growth narrowing to half the country. For owners and builders, the data points to tighter labor in fast-growing states and some loosening elsewhere.

Key Questions

Which state added the most construction jobs in September 2026?

Louisiana added 18,800 construction jobs from September 2025 to September 2026, a 13.9 percent increase and the largest gain of any state, according to AGC's analysis (Mecklenburg Times).

How many states added construction jobs in September 2026?

Construction employment rose year over year in 34 states and D.C., and 25 states added construction jobs from August to September 2026 (Mecklenburg Times).

Which state lost the most construction jobs?

Georgia lost 4,900 construction jobs from September 2025 to September 2026, the largest numerical decline, while Alaska had the steepest percentage drop at 5.3 percent (NAHB Eye on Housing).

How many construction jobs did the U.S. add in September 2026?

U.S. construction added 11,000 jobs in September 2026 and 109,000 jobs, or 1.3 percent, over the prior 12 months (NAHB Eye on Housing).

Related Coverage

• Construction Adds 11,000 Jobs in September 2026 as Data Center Trades Lead
• Only Half of U.S. Metros Added Construction Jobs; Rochester and Tampa Post Gains
• Harvard Study: Immigrants Drove All Trades Workforce Growth Since 2013

Image credit: National Association of Home Builders. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Mecklenburg Times, "Construction employment increases in September from a year ago in 34 states": https://mecktimes.com/news/2026/10/22/construction-employment-increases-in-september-from-a-year-ago-in-34-states/
• NAHB Eye on Housing, "State-Level Employment Situation September 2026": https://eyeonhousing.org/2026/10/state-level-employment-situation-september-2026/
• Hardware Retailing, "State-Level Construction Employment Posts Gains in September": https://hardwareretailing.com/state-level-construction-employment-posts-gains-in-september