Wisconsin construction employment up for the year but down from April to May

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Wisconsin was among 43 states that showed a year-over-year increase in construction employment in May.

Using seasonally adjusted data, the Associated General Contractors of America reported Friday that Wisconsin added 1,900 construction jobs from May 2021 to May 2022. That put it among the 43 states and the District of Columbia that showed a year-over-year increase in May.

But Wisconsin was also among the 28 states that either lost jobs or held steady from April to May this year. Wisconsin’s month-over-month employment in May was down 1,700 jobs, or by 1.3%.

Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the AGC, said the numbers are further evidence that labor shortages and supply shortages can be expected to continue holding back the industry.
“Demand for construction appears to be outpacing the availability of workers and materials in many parts of the country,” Sandherr said in a statement. “Contractors can’t add jobs if they don’t have workers to hire or supplies to install on projects.”

To alleviate the situation, he and other officials are calling on President Joe Biden and his administration to put more money into efforts to inform students of the benefits of construction careers. They also would like to see Biden eliminate any remaining tariffs on imported construction materials.

“Contractors need people and products to build projects, and the supply of both is very constrained right now,” Sandherr said in the same statement. “Exposing more workers to high-paying construction career opportunities and fixing the supply chain will help put more people to work in the industry.”