Tulsa was ranked No. 84 with a 6 percent increase with 25,400 construction jobs in 2019 versus 2,400 in 2013. Construction employment grew in 250 out of 358 metro areas between April 2018 and April 2019, declined in 53 and was unchanged in 55, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Association officials said construction employment in many parts of the country likely would have been higher if firms could find more qualified workers to hire.

“Demand for construction is steady or rising in most parts of the country, and many contractors are adding workers when they can find them,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “At the same time, many firms report they would have hired even more employees if only they could find enough qualified workers.”

The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. metro area added the most construction jobs during the past year (16,600 jobs, 14 percent).

Other areas adding a large amount of construction jobs during the past 12 months include Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (9,200 jobs, 6 percent); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California (8,400 jobs, 6 percent); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia (7,000 jobs, 6 percent) and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev. (6,800 jobs, 11 percent).  The largest percentage gain occurred in Monroe, Michigan (26 percent, 500 jobs) and St. Cloud, Minnesota (26 percent, 1,500 jobs), followed by Auburn-Opelika, Alabama (25 percent, 600 jobs) and Norwich-New London-Westerly, Connecticut-Rhode Island (16 percent, 600 jobs).

The largest job losses between April 2018 and April 2019 occurred in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina (-2,600 jobs, -4 percent), followed by Baton Rouge, Louisiana (-1,800 jobs, -3 percent); Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut (-1,600 jobs, -8 percent) and Longview, Texas (-1,300 jobs, -9 percent). The largest percentage decrease took place in Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi (-13 percent, -1,200 jobs) and Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey (-13 percent, -800 jobs), followed by Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan (-12 percent, -300 jobs); Evansville, Ind.-Kentucky (-9 percent, -1,000 jobs) and Longview, Texas.

“One reason relatively few young adults choose to pursue rewarding careers in construction is because not many of them are being told it is an option to consider,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “We have a lot of contractors looking for workers so they can keep up with the amount of work that is out there.”