Metro Milwaukee construction jobs up 8 percent year over year: AGC

There were around 3,200 more people working in construction in the metro Milwaukee area than there were in August of 2021, an analysis from the Associated General Contractors of America showed. 

Construction industry employment was up 8% over the year in Milwaukee, Waukesha and West Allis combined, the AGC‘s study showed. Employment in August of 2022 was 38,300 and employment last year was 35,100. 

Construction jobs were up 11% in the Badger State, or 33,600 in August of 2022, the AGC study said. There were 32,700 construction jobs statewide in August of 2021. 

Still, association officials said job gains would have been higher if not for a shortage of qualified people to hire and train.

“The record number of construction job openings and ultra-low unemployment rate for workers with construction experience are signs of an ever-tighter labor market,” AGC economist Ken Simonson said in a statement. 

Out of 358 metros, 246 of them showed construction job growth between August of 2021 and August of 2022, the study showed. Jobs fell in 57 metros and stayed the same in 55 metros. 

Simonson said the unemployment rate for jobseekers with construction experience fell to 3.9 percent in August from 4.6 last year. There were 393,000 job openings in construction at the end of July, the highest total in July in 22 years of government data. 

Houston, The Woodlands and Sugar Land in Texas added 33,500 construction jobs or 16%, the biggest increase nationally, the study showed. The Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area in Washington added 8,800 jobs or 8%, and the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California, area added 8,300 jobs or 6%. 

The construction industry used digital advertising and created new tools to make job sites more welcoming and inclusive to recruit, prepare and retain new workers, association officials said. Association officials urged the federal government to boost funding for construction education programs to expose more students to construction career opportunities. 

AGC Chief Executive Officer Stephen Sandherr said the federal government should boost investments in education programs in construction over forgiving college loans.

“Federal officials should be preparing students for the good jobs that exist, instead of paying them to pursue jobs that don’t,” he added.