Construction Jobs Increase In 23 States in May; Dodge Starts Jump Year-To-Date; Housing Starts Slide

By KEN SIMONSON

Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose from April to May in 23 states and the District of Columbia, fell in 22 states and was flat in five states, according to AGC’s analysis of BLS data.

Texas added the most construction jobs (3,600 jobs or 0.4 percent), followed by Wisconsin (2,900, 1.9 percent), Alabama (2,800, 2.5 percent), Minnesota (2,100, 1.4 percent) and Idaho (2,000, 2.6 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Idaho, followed by Alabama, South Dakota (2.3 percent, 700 jobs), Kansas (2.0 percent, 1,500) and Wisconsin. Massachusetts lost the most construction jobs from April to May (-4,200 jobs, -2.5 percent), followed by Viginia (-2,300, -1.0 percent), Montana (-1,900, -4.9 percent), New Mexico (-1,700, -3.1 percent) and Pennsylvania (-1,700, -0.6 percent).

The largest percentage loss was in Montana, followed by New Mexico, West Virginia (-2.9 percent, -1,100 jobs), Massachusetts and New Hampshire (-1.9 percent, -600). Between May 2025 and May 2026, 30 states and D.C. added construction jobs year-over-year (y/y), 18 states shed jobs and employment held steady in Delaware and Arkansas. Texas added the most construction jobs (18,700 or 2.1 percent), followed by North Carolina (13,600, 4.9 percent), Wisconsin (9,000, 6.2 percent), Minnesota (8,500, 6.0 percent) and Illinois (8,100, 3.4 percent). Wisconsin had the largest percentage gain over 12 months, followed by Minnesota, Alabama (5.7 percent, 6,200 jobs) and Nebraska (5.6 percent, 3,600). California lost the most construction from May 2025 to May 2026 (-13,100 jobs, -1.5 percent), followed by Georgia (-4,300, -1.8 percent), New Jersey (-3,800, -2.3 percent), Michigan (-3,700, -1.8 percent) and Virginia (-3,400, -1.5 percent). The largest percentage loss was in New Mexico (-3.1 percent, -1,700 jobs), followed by Alaska (-2.6 percent, -500), New Hampshire (-2.5 percent, -800), New Jersey (-2.3 percent, -3,800), Georgia and Michigan.

Total construction starts rose 13 percent year-to-date (YTD) in January-May 2026 compared to the same months in 2025, after soaring 34 percent at a seasonally adjusted annual rate from April to May, Dodge Construction Network reported. “Megaproject starts within healthcare, manufacturing, utilities and data centers drove sizeable gains across the month,” said Sarah Martin, director of economic research. “Outside of this activity, however, pockets of weakness across institutional construction, warehouses and residential construction remain.” Nonresidential starts rose 12 percent YTD, with commercial and industrial construction up 33 percent, manufacturing starts up 32 percent and institutional starts down 4.1 percent. Residential starts fell 4.9 percent YTD, with single-family starts down 9.4 percent and multifamily starts up 3.6 percent. Nonbuilding starts jumped 33 percent YTD alongside the 125.9 percent year-to-date growth in electric power/utilities and 12.1 percent growth in highways and bridges. The remaining sectors, however, are seeing declines. Environmental public works are down 5.5 percent and miscellaneous nonbuilding starts are down 12.1 percent.

Housing starts (units) in May plunged 15 percent from April and 8.7 percent y/y at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, the Census Bureau reported. Single-family starts declined 1.9 percent for the month and 6.7 percent y/y. Multifamily (five or more units) starts plummeted 42 percent for the month and 29 percent y/y. Residential permits dipped 0.7 percent from April and 0.2 percent y/y. Single-family permits were up 0.6 percent for the month but down 1.8 percent y/y. Multifamily permits slid 3.5 percent for the month but climbed 3.0 percent y/y. Multifamily units under construction at the end of May fell 1.3 percent from April and 8.1 percent y/y.

YTD through April, “34 states recorded increases in multifamily building permits, while 16 states and the District of Columbia experienced declines,” the National Association of Home Builders reported. “Rhode Island posted the largest percentage increase, with multifamily permits surging [251 percent,] from 170 to 596 units. In contrast, Nevada recorded the steepest decline, with permits falling 78 percent, from 3,426 to 738 units.…California, which issued the most multifamily permits, recorded a substantial increase of [57 percent YTD]. Texas, the second-highest state, posted a decline of 20.6 percent, while Florida, ranking third, saw multifamily permits fall by 41.3 percent.”

Nine of the 10 metro areas with the most multifamily permits YTD experienced increases, including: New York-Newark-Jersey City, 15,401 permits, up 64 percent from January-April 2025; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 9,337 permits, up 144 percent; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 9,049, up 6 percent; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W. Va, 4,986, up 156 percent; and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, 4,957, up 25 percent. The only exception was Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, 3,482 (ranked 9th in number of permits YTD), down 47 percent.

The national retail price of on-highway diesel fuel averaged $4.83 per gallon on June 22, the Energy Information Administration reported. That was a drop of 23 cents from a week earlier and 81 cents (-14 percent) from the peak on April 6. But Monday’s price was 85 cents (24 percent) higher than on February 23, the Monday before the Middle East conflict began.

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