Steel Markets
AGC: Contractors Report Labor Shortage
Written by Sandy Williams
October 30, 2019
The Associated General Contractors of America are calling for comprehensive immigration reform and additional workforce funding to address a shortage of qualified labor. Despite the widespread job gains, AGC’s latest survey found 80 percent of contractors say hourly craftworker positions remain difficult to fill.
Construction employment grew in 244, or 68 percent, out of 358 metro areas between September 2018 and September 2019, declined in 61 and was unchanged in 53, according to the association’s latest analysis of federal employment data.
“Even though construction firms in over two-thirds of the nation’s metro areas were able to add employees in the last year, our survey suggests employers in still more locations would have done so if they could find more qualified workers to hire,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Job openings at construction have been at record levels in recent months, showing that contractors are still eager to hire.”
The Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, metro area added the most construction jobs during the past year (15,000 jobs, 10 percent). Other metro areas adding a large amount of construction jobs during the past 12 months include Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (12,400 jobs, 10 percent); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (10,700 jobs, 7 percent); Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (7,900 jobs, 4 percent) and Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. (7,500 jobs, 9 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Pocatello, Idaho (17 percent, 300 jobs), followed by Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa (16 percent, 4,900 jobs); Auburn-Opelika, Ala. (15 percent, 400 jobs) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash. (15 percent, 2,300 jobs). Construction employment reached a new September high in 64 metro areas and a new September low in three areas.
The largest job losses between September 2018 and September 2019 occurred in New York City (-3,600 jobs, -2 percent), followed by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C. (-3,400 jobs, -5 percent); Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Ill. (-3,100 jobs -2 percent) and Baton Rouge, La. (-2,300 jobs, -4 percent). The largest percentage decrease took place in Longview, Texas (-11 percent, -1,600 jobs), followed by Fairbanks, Alaska (-9 percent, -300 jobs); Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Miss. (-8 percent, -600 jobs); Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn. (-8 percent, -1,600 jobs) and Evansville, Ind. (-8 percent, -800 jobs).
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
Discontentment brews in plate market with flat, status-quo pricing
Sources in the carbon and alloy steel plate market said they are less discouraged by market uncertainty resulting from tariffs or foreign relations, but are instead, eager to see disruption to the flat pricing environment.
Dodge Momentum Index surges in July
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) jumped 20.8% in July and is now up 27% year-to-date, according to the latest data released by Dodge Construction Network.
Drilling activity slows in US but picks up steam in Canada
Oil and gas drilling in the US slowed for a third consecutive week, while activity in Canada hovered just shy of the 19-week high reached two weeks prior.
SMU Survey: Buyers remain leery of tariffs, but more see reshoring happening
This week’s SMU survey reveals that a growing number of steel market participants are weary of tariffs and are awaiting evidence of progress reshoring. At the start of 2025, now-second-term President, Donald Trump, pronounced that his plan to implement tariffs would result in increased revenue for the US.
Hot-rolled coil market remains slow, market participants say
Hot rolled spot market participants reported another week of moderate demand and ample supply, with no strong signs that conditions will change next week.