These States Are Employing the Most Construction Workers

The U.S. construction industry continues to face a labor shortage, but some states are employing construction workers at relatively high rates. A recent report from Construction Coverage shows that many top construction states are ones where demand for new housing has increased in recent years. For this reason, all eight Mountain West states rank among the top 10 nationally for construction employment. Wyoming leads the nation with 11% of its workforce in the construction industry. Wyoming is followed by Utah with 9.5% of its workforce, and then Idaho with 9.3% of its workers in construction.

In contrast, states in the Northeast—such as Connecticut (4.3%), New Jersey (4.4%), and New York (4.7%)—along with several in the Midwest like Illinois (4.5%) and Michigan (5.1%), report the lowest shares of construction employment. These patterns suggest slower population growth, more mature housing markets, and possibly more diversified state economies where construction plays a less dominant role.