South Carolina added 4,100 construction jobs from November 2019 to November 2020, with an increase of 9% in the Spartanburg metropolitan area and 4% in Columbia.
Nationally, 34% of metropolitan areas created construction jobs for the 12-month period, according to a federal data analysis (.pdf) from the Associated General Contractors of America released on Tuesday. Association officials said contractors are laying off workers as soon as projects started before the COVID-19 pandemic are completed, as private owners and public agencies are reluctant to commit to new construction.
“Canceled and postponed projects appear to be more common than new starts for many contractors,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist at AGC, in a new launch. “Our association’s Construction Contracting and Business Outlook Survey revealed that three times more contractors experienced delays and cancellations than new or expanded projects.”
Construction employment fell by 203, or 57%, from 358 metropolitan areas between November 2019 and November 2020 and was stagnant at 33. Jobs were added at 122 meters, or 44%.
Spartanburg ranked 16th in the country, adding 700 construction, mining and logging workers from 7,800 in November 2019 to 8,500 in November 2020 for a 9% growth. Columbia also added 700 workers, rising from 17,400 to 18,100, an increase of 4%.
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin saw growth of 1% (from 19,400 to 19,500), while employment in these industries in Charleston-North Charleston fell 1% (from 22,100 to 21,900).
Overall, employment in these industries grew 4%, from 113.4 thousand to 117.4 thousand, in the state.
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, lost 22,500 jobs in construction (9%), while New York City lost 16,700 (11%) jobs in mining, logging and construction.
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona added 4,700 construction jobs (3%), followed by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland, with 4,500 mining, logging and construction jobs (5%).
AGC officials warned of continued project cancellations and delays in 2021.
“Construction jobs are expected to fall further in many parts of the country as the coronavirus continues to weigh on demand for non-residential projects,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “Unless market conditions change quickly, this year is likely to be a major challenge for many construction employers.”