Texas added 56,100 construction jobs in 2017, the most of any state in the union, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The Lone Star State experienced 7.9 percent annual growth in the sector. After Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan also had annual growth in construction jobs, while Kentucky, Missouri, and New Jersey lost construction jobs during that period, The Houston Chronicle reports.
At the same time the industry is rapidly adding jobs, the construction firms are grappling with rising construction prices as imports -- including Canadian softwood lumber and cement, paint, nails, nuts and bolts from China -- are increasingly subject to tariffs. The Associated General Contractors of America warned its members they "must prepare for a time of tremendous uncertainty." The association suggested construction firms review their contracts to make sure they provide price adjustments for escalations in material prices.
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