Construction hiring splits by metro as data centres and factories lead gains

The Associated General Contractors of America released its metro-area analysis of construction employment on 28 October, using new federal data for September. Between September 2025 and September 2026, construction employment rose in 180 of 360 metros, fell in 118 and was flat in 62.

Where the jobs went

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands added the most construction jobs, up 13,800 (5%). Baton Rouge added 12,300, a 27% jump that was also the fastest growth of any metro. St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio each added 10,700, which for Columbus meant growth of 17%.

Louisiana featured heavily among the fastest-growing smaller markets, with Lafayette up 15% and Shreveport-Bossier City up 14%. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island on the Iowa-Illinois border also grew 14%.

Where they were lost

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell lost the most jobs, down 5,100 (5%). Jersey City-White Plains and Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley each lost about 6% of their construction workforce (4,500 and 4,400 jobs). Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario and Lakewood-New Brunswick were also down by several thousand. In percentage terms, Anchorage fell furthest, down 10%.

The full rankings and an alphabetical list of all 360 metros are published by AGC.

What AGC says is driving it

AGC chief economist Ken Simonson linked the strongest gains to the places where data centres and large power and manufacturing projects are going up. Chief executive Jeffrey D. Shoaf argued that data centres are the one type of project that looks unaffected by uncertainty over future federal infrastructure investment.

Elsewhere, the association said rising materials prices and higher interest rates are leading developers to delay or cancel projects. It called on federal officials to rethink high tariffs and on Congress to pass the overdue highway and transit bill.

How it fits with the state picture

The metro split matters because state averages hide it. Associated Builders and Contractors' September state analysis, published two days later, put national construction unemployment at 3.5%. Georgia, for example, had one of the lowest state rates at 2.1%, yet Atlanta was the metro with the biggest job losses. A tight state market and a shrinking local one can sit side by side.

The bigger picture

For employers, the useful question is no longer whether construction is hiring, but where. Metros with a large data centre, energy or factory pipeline are adding jobs fast, and that pulls experienced supervisors, estimators and trades towards them. Markets where commercial and public work has stalled may have more available people, but also more nervous ones.