While construction employment appears to be expanding in many places around the country, that labor force continues to shrink in Washington state. 

As of September, the state shed 600 construction jobs compared to the prior month. What’s worse, more than 12,000 construction jobs were lost over the prior 12 months, according to an analysis of federal employment data from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).  

Meanwhile, states such as Ohio, Virginia and Texas each employed that many or more construction workers over that same period. Neighboring Idaho saw its construction jobs grow 7.5%, or by 5,400 jobs. 

“Firms continue to report that finding enough qualified workers is one of their biggest challenges and a key factor behind project delays,” said Macrina Wilkins, AGC’s senior research analyst, in a statement. 

AGC officials noted demand for private-sector construction jobs is likely to increase since the Federal Reserve Board lowered interest rates recently. That new demand is likely to put additional strain on already tight labor markets. As a result, association officials continued to urge federal leaders to take short- and long-term steps to support construction workforce development. 

“We need federal officials to make significant new, long-term, investments in construction-focused workforce development programs,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, AGC’s CEO. “At the same time they should be taking short-term steps to allow more people to lawfully enter the country and work in construction to meet demand while we rebuild the domestic workforce pipeline.”