The Daily Dig
Construction employment rose in 180 of 360 U.S. metro areas between September 2025 and September 2026. That comes from an Associated General Contractors of America analysis of government data, released October 28, 2026.
AGC says the gains tend to track where data centers, power projects, and certain manufacturing plants are being built. Demand for many other project types has stalled under rising costs and uncertainty.
Leaders of the Pack
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas added the most construction jobs, with 13,800, a 5% increase.
Baton Rouge, La. followed with 12,300 jobs. That’s a 27% jump, the largest percentage gain of any metro.
St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio tied for third, each adding 10,700 jobs.
Louisiana had a strong year overall. Lafayette and Shreveport-Bossier City joined Baton Rouge in the top five for percentage growth.
“More often than not, there is a correlation between where data centers or large power and manufacturing facilities are getting built and which metro areas are adding new construction jobs,” said Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “That is because demand for many other types of projects has been stalled by rising costs and/or political uncertainty.”
The Other Half
Construction employment fell in 118 metros and held steady in 62 more.
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. metro division posted the largest loss, shedding 5,100 jobs. Anchorage, Alaska saw the steepest percentage drop, with employment down 10%.
Tariff and Away
AGC says rising material prices and higher interest rates are pushing developers to delay or cancel many projects other than data centers.
They’re urging Washington to reconsider the high tariffs adding to construction costs. They also want Congress to pass the overdue highway and transit bill to help drive new demand.
“The only kind of projects that appear immune to uncertainties about future federal infrastructure investments and rising prices are data centers,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, AGC’s chief executive officer.
Snapshot:
Source: Associated General Contractors of America analysis of government employment data
Release Date: October 28, 2026
Period: September 2025 to September 2026
Metros Gaining Jobs: 180 of 360 (50%)
Metros Losing Jobs: 118
Metros Unchanged: 62
Top Gains (jobs): Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas (13,800, 5%); Baton Rouge, La. (12,300, 27%); St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (10,700, 13%); Columbus, Ohio (10,700, 17%)
Top Gains (%): Baton Rouge (27%); Columbus (17%); Lafayette, La. (15%, 1,600 jobs); Shreveport-Bossier City, La. (14%, 1,200 jobs); Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. (14%, 1,600 jobs)
Top Losses (jobs): Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. metro division (-5,100, -5%); Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. metro division (-4,500, -6%); Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, Calif. metro division (-4,400, -6%); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-3,900, -4%); Lakewood-New Brunswick, N.J. metro division (-3,600, -6%)
Top Losses (%): Anchorage, Alaska (-10%, -1,400 jobs); Niles, Mich. (-9%, -200 jobs); Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. (-8%, -100 jobs); Fairbanks-College, Alaska (-7%, -200 jobs); Gainesville, Ga. (-7%, -400 jobs)
Demand Drivers: Data centers, power projects, some manufacturing plants
Headwinds Cited: Rising material prices, higher interest rates, high tariffs, political uncertainty, uncertainty over future federal infrastructure investment
Policy Asks: Reconsider tariffs; pass the overdue highway and transit bill
Quoted: Ken Simonson, Chief Economist; Jeffrey D. Shoaf, Chief Executive Officer
TheJobWalk Thoughts
AGC’s own CEO says data centers are the only projects that appear immune to rising prices and federal uncertainty. That makes for a strong market, but a narrow one. If most of your backlog sits in one sector, know what else could fill the board. Power and manufacturing, the other drivers AGC names, are worth watching for scope.
Large projects also compete hard for the same crews. If you’re bidding work near one, price labor like you’ll be fighting for manpower. Schedules built on last year’s labor availability tend to slip.
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