Table 1 accompanying this article summarizes state jobs levels and year-over-year employment percentage changes not only in construction, but also in three pockets of the economy that account for important shares of building activity – manufacturing, office-based work and the ‘leisure and hospitality’ sector (i.e., hotels/motels/bars/restaurants).
The sum of the not seasonally adjusted (NSA) state employment numbers in Table 1 totaled 146.3 million jobs in December 2016, which was +1.4% compared with December 2015’s level.
Manufacturing’s December 2016 total was weakest, -0.4% y/y; office-based employment had a quite respectable showing, +1.7%; and leisure/hospitality work was strong, +2.5%. Construction on its own was a little better than middle of the road, +1.7%.
With respect to manufacturing, none of the four major geographic regions of the country recorded a year-over-year increase in jobs. The South was -0.2%; the Northeast, -0.3%; the Midwest, -0.5%; and the West, -0.6%.
The six states with the highest levels of manufacturing employment in December 2016 were: California (1.277 million jobs and -0.6% y/y); Texas (849,000 and -1.7% y/y); Ohio (689,000 and -0.4% y/y); Michigan (602,000 and +0.9% y/y); Illinois (568,000 and -1.9% y/y); and Pennsylvania (567,000 and -0.1% y/y). Notice that only Michigan among those half dozen managed a gain.
There were some other positive percentage increases in manufacturing sprinkled throughout the listing, but most of them were in states with only a small production line presence. Florida (a level of 360,000 and +2.7% y/y) and Alabama (266,000 and +3.2% y/y) were perhaps the only other states warranting special mention.
For office-based employment, I’ve added together three sectors as set out in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s monthly Employment Situation report: ‘information’, ‘financial activities’ and ‘professional and business services’. The West (+2.1% y/y), South (+1.9%) and Midwest (+1.7%) have all recently had good office-related jobs growth, with the Northeast (+0.8%) trailing somewhat. Upwardly trending office-based employment, which lowers vacancy rates, is a prime driver of new office construction.
The six states with the highest levels of office-based employment in December 2016 were: California (3.932 million and +1.8% y/y); Texas (2.591 million and +1.8% y/y); New York (2.267 million and +0.4% y/y); Florida (2.006 million and +3.1% y/y); Illinois (1.423 million and +1.8% y/y); and Pennsylvania (1.193 million and +1.0% y/y).
Other states with some notable climbs in year-over-year office-based employment were: Oregon (a level of 385,000 and +5.9% y/y); Michigan (951,000 and +4.0%); Missouri (611,000 and +3.3% y/y); and Georgia (1.036 million and +3.2% y/y).
The West recorded the greatest year-over-year percentage increase in leisure and hospitality employment in December 2016, +2.9%, but no region was left behind. The South was +2.6%; the Midwest, +2.2%; and the Northeast, +1.8%.
The half dozen states with the loftiest levels of ‘accommodation and amusement’ employment in the December just passed were: California (1.913 million and +3.1% y/y); Texas (1.299 million and +3.5% y/y); Florida (1.196 million and +4.4%% y/y); New York (903,000 and +2.6% y/y); Illinois (585,000 and +2.1% y/y); and Ohio (543,000 and +2.6% y/y).
Florida stands out for its large percentage climbs in both office-based and leisure and hospitality employment, +3.1% and +4.4% respectively.
Other states with outsized jumps in their leisure and hospitality jobs were: Missouri (a level of 295,000 and +7.1% y/y); Hawaii (121,000 and +4.4% y/y); and Michigan (419,000 and +4.0% y/y). The Motor City is making its presence known in a positive way once again.
As for construction employment, the large population states – as to be expected − dominated on-site worker levels in December 2016. Just as interesting, however, are those states where there were some truly impressive year-over-year ‘hard hat’ percentage gains: Nevada, +13.4%; Oregon, +9.6%; Iowa, +8.6%; Washington, +7.6%; Colorado, +7.2%; and Minnesota, +7.0%.
Table 1: State and Regional Employment Levels, December 2016
(not seasonally adjusted / NSA data)
| Total | Manufacturing | Office-based | Leisure/Hospitality | Construction | |||||||||||
| Employment (000s) | Employment (000s) | Employment (000s) | Employment (000s) | Employment (000s) | |||||||||||
| Dec 2016 |
% Change Y/Y | Dec 2016 |
% Change Y/Y | Dec 2016 |
% Change Y/Y | Dec 2016 |
% Change Y/Y | Dec 2016 |
% Change Y/Y | ||||||
| Connecticut | 1,699 | -0.1% | 159 | 0.5% | 383 | 0.3% | 151 | 0.3% | 55 | -2.8% | |||||
| Maine | 609 | -0.3% | 51 | -0.8% | 102 | -0.1% | 57 | 0.2% | 26 | -3.0% | |||||
| Massachusetts | 3,603 | 2.0% | 252 | 0.7% | 867 | 2.5% | 341 | 2.4% | 152 | 6.3% | |||||
| New Hampshire | 678 | 1.8% | 67 | 1.5% | 129 | 2.0% | 68 | 5.7% | 27 | 3.5% | |||||
| Rhode Island | 494 | 0.8% | 41 | -2.1% | 106 | 0.3% | 57 | 5.5% | 18 | -1.1% | |||||
| Vermont | 322 | 0.4% | 30 | -1.0% | 44 | 0.5% | 40 | 3.9% | 16 | -0.6% | |||||
| Total New England | 7,405 | 1.2% | 601 | 0.3% | 1,631 | 1.6% | 714 | 2.4% | 293 | 2.5% | |||||
| New Jersey | 4,121 | 0.3% | 243 | 1.5% | 1,000 | -0.1% | 347 | 0.1% | 156 | 2.1% | |||||
| New York | 9,498 | 1.1% | 444 | -2.2% | 2,267 | 0.4% | 903 | 2.6% | 359 | -2.8% | |||||
| Pennsylvania | 5,947 | 0.5% | 567 | -0.1% | 1,193 | 1.0% | 542 | 0.8% | 229 | 1.6% | |||||
| Total Middle Atlantic | 19,565 | 0.8% | 1,253 | -0.6% | 4,460 | 0.5% | 1,792 | 1.6% | 744 | -0.4% | |||||
| TOTAL NORTHEAST | 26,970 | 0.9% | 1,854 | -0.3% | 6,091 | 0.8% | 2,507 | 1.8% | 1,037 | 0.4% | |||||
| Illinois | 6,046 | 0.5% | 568 | -1.9% | 1,423 | 1.8% | 585 | 2.1% | 201 | -4.5% | |||||
| Indiana | 3,103 | 0.7% | 519 | -0.2% | 496 | 0.3% | 301 | 1.2% | 129 | -0.3% | |||||
| Michigan | 4,378 | 1.7% | 602 | 0.9% | 951 | 4.0% | 419 | 4.0% | 149 | 2.6% | |||||
| Ohio | 5,530 | 0.6% | 689 | -0.4% | 1,092 | 0.4% | 543 | 2.6% | 203 | 1.1% | |||||
| Wisconsin | 2,938 | 0.8% | 471 | 0.2% | 518 | 1.2% | 260 | 1.5% | 110 | 0.6% | |||||
| Total East North Central | 21,995 | 0.8% | 2,848 | -0.3% | 4,480 | 1.7% | 2,108 | 2.4% | 791 | -0.4% | |||||
| Iowa | 1,588 | 0.6% | 208 | -3.3% | 271 | 0.8% | 136 | 0.9% | 87 | 8.6% | |||||
| Kansas | 1,404 | -0.7% | 162 | -0.9% | 278 | 0.1% | 124 | -1.0% | 56 | -7.0% | |||||
| Minnesota | 2,912 | 1.3% | 315 | -0.6% | 603 | 1.7% | 245 | -2.3% | 115 | 7.0% | |||||
| Missouri | 2,861 | 2.3% | 260 | -0.3% | 611 | 3.3% | 295 | 7.1% | 120 | 3.2% | |||||
| Nebraska | 1,026 | 0.8% | 97 | -0.3% | 213 | 1.7% | 88 | 2.1% | 47 | -1.7% | |||||
| North Dakota | 440 | -1.4% | 25 | -0.8% | 66 | -1.1% | 41 | 2.5% | 27 | -7.7% | |||||
| South Dakota | 436 | 1.7% | 41 | -2.2% | 68 | 1.8% | 45 | 4.9% | 22 | 2.8% | |||||
| Total West North Central | 10,666 | 1.0% | 1,106 | -1.1% | 2,110 | 1.7% | 976 | 2.0% | 474 | 2.5% | |||||
| TOTAL MIDWEST | 32,661 | 0.9% | 3,954 | -0.5% | 6,589 | 1.7% | 3,084 | 2.2% | 1,265 | 0.7% | |||||
| Delaware | 463 | 0.6% | 27 | -4.3% | 120 | 3.6% | 50 | 4.0% | n/a | n/a | |||||
| District of Columbia | 788 | 2.2% | 1 | 9.1% | 216 | 2.9% | 76 | 3.4% | n/a | n/a | |||||
| Florida | 8,554 | 3.0% | 360 | 2.7% | 2,006 | 3.1% | 1,196 | 4.4% | 467 | 5.3% | |||||
| Georgia | 4,457 | 2.2% | 387 | 0.1% | 1,036 | 3.2% | 471 | 3.8% | 179 | 3.9% | |||||
| Maryland | 2,727 | 1.0% | 108 | 1.9% | 626 | 1.0% | 268 | 2.3% | 157 | -0.4% | |||||
| North Carolina | 4,393 | 1.9% | 465 | 1.0% | 923 | 2.9% | 461 | 1.5% | 200 | 3.1% | |||||
| South Carolina | 2,076 | 1.8% | 243 | 1.6% | 407 | 2.6% | 232 | 1.0% | 91 | 2.8% | |||||
| Virginia | 3,966 | 1.0% | 229 | -2.1% | 993 | 0.7% | 389 | 1.9% | 184 | -0.4% | |||||
| West Virginia | 768 | 0.1% | 46 | -1.1% | 110 | -2.2% | 75 | 2.3% | 31 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total South Atlantic | 28,193 | 2.0% | 1,865 | 0.7% | 6,436 | 2.4% | 3,218 | 3.1% | 1,310 | 2.9% | |||||
| Alabama | 1,984 | 0.9% | 266 | 3.2% | 353 | 1.8% | 187 | -0.6% | 76 | -5.8% | |||||
| Kentucky | 1,937 | 0.7% | 246 | 0.1% | 357 | 1.8% | 184 | 0.1% | 74 | -4.2% | |||||
| Mississippi | 1,139 | -1.0% | 142 | -1.7% | 153 | -6.4% | 131 | 2.3% | 45 | -4.6% | |||||
| Tennessee | 3,021 | 1.5% | 343 | 1.2% | 617 | 1.9% | 313 | 1.8% | 124 | 4.8% | |||||
| Total East South Central | 8,080 | 0.8% | 997 | 1.0% | 1,480 | 0.9% | 814 | 0.9% | 319 | -1.4% | |||||
| Arkansas | 1,236 | 0.2% | 153 | -1.3% | 209 | 2.2% | 112 | 0.2% | 48 | -2.4% | |||||
| Louisiana | 1,989 | -0.2% | 134 | -5.7% | 328 | 0.9% | 225 | -1.3% | 146 | 0.4% | |||||
| Oklahoma | 1,670 | -0.3% | 126 | -4.7% | 282 | -0.8% | 167 | 3.1% | 80 | 0.5% | |||||
| Texas | 12,222 | 1.8% | 849 | -1.7% | 2,591 | 1.8% | 1,299 | 3.5% | 689 | -0.5% | |||||
| Total West South Central | 17,116 | 1.2% | 1,262 | -2.4% | 3,409 | 1.5% | 1,803 | 2.6% | 963 | -0.4% | |||||
| TOTAL SOUTH | 53,389 | 1.6% | 4,124 | -0.2% | 11,325 | 1.9% | 5,836 | 2.6% | 2,592 | 1.1% | |||||
| Arizona | 2,755 | 1.2% | 160 | -0.6% | 674 | 0.9% | 313 | 3.4% | 136 | 4.8% | |||||
| Colorado | 2,645 | 1.8% | 141 | -2.3% | 643 | 1.2% | 333 | 2.2% | 166 | 7.2% | |||||
| Idaho | 700 | 2.0% | 65 | 2.5% | 131 | 4.5% | 71 | 0.7% | 40 | 1.0% | |||||
| Montana | 463 | 0.8% | 20 | 3.6% | 72 | 2.7% | 60 | 4.3% | 24 | -6.2% | |||||
| Nevada | 1,311 | 2.9% | 43 | 0.9% | 244 | 0.5% | 345 | 3.2% | 81 | 13.4% | |||||
| New Mexico | 835 | 0.3% | 27 | -2.9% | 149 | 2.2% | 95 | 1.5% | 45 | 3.2% | |||||
| Utah | 1,448 | 2.8% | 129 | 3.8% | 327 | 4.9% | 141 | 2.3% | 89 | 4.5% | |||||
| Wyoming | 276 | -2.7% | 10 | 1.0% | 32 | 0.0% | 32 | 0.9% | 20 | -5.1% | |||||
| Total Mountain | 10,433 | 1.6% | 595 | 0.4% | 2,271 | 1.8% | 1,389 | 2.7% | 601 | 5.2% | |||||
| Alaska | 319 | -1.8% | 8 | 0.0% | 44 | -5.2% | 31 | 1.0% | 15 | -4.5% | |||||
| California | 16,750 | 2.1% | 1,277 | -0.6% | 3,932 | 1.8% | 1,913 | 3.1% | 762 | 2.5% | |||||
| Hawaii | 663 | 1.8% | 14 | 0.0% | 123 | 0.9% | 121 | 4.4% | n/a | n/a | |||||
| Oregon | 1,869 | 3.0% | 183 | -1.6% | 385 | 5.9% | 191 | 1.6% | 90 | 9.6% | |||||
| Washington | 3,290 | 2.9% | 281 | -2.1% | 682 | 2.8% | 316 | 2.7% | 185 | 7.6% | |||||
| Total Pacific | 22,889 | 2.2% | 1,763 | -0.9% | 5,166 | 2.1% | 2,574 | 3.0% | 1,052 | 3.8% | |||||
| TOTAL WEST | 33,323 | 2.0% | 2,358 | -0.6% | 7,437 | 2.1% | 3,963 | 2.9% | 1,654 | 4.3% | |||||
| TOTAL U.S. | 146,343 | 1.4% | 12,289 | -0.4% | 31,442 | 1.7% | 15,389 | 2.5% | 6,547 | 1.7% | |||||
‘ ‘n/a’ means not available.
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Chart: ConstructConnect.
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