Construction jobs rise by 10 percent year-over-year in Phoenix
Jun 3, 2018, 4:05 AM | Updated: Jun 21, 2018, 2:25 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — Construction jobs increased by 11,000 year-over-year from April 2017 to April 2018 in the Phoenix metro area, including Mesa and Scottsdale.
The findings were discovered by the Associated General Contractors of America and published in the Phoenix Business Journal.
They found that the Phoenix metro area had the third-highest growth of all 256 areas that were studied, behind Dallas and Houston.
The 11,000 new jobs in the sector represents a 10 percent increase over the period.
Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, was pleased with the findings, but also warned of the what the high demand would mean for contractors.
“Industry demand is still showing strength,” Simonson said in a statement. “However, despite these signs, further growth in the industry may increasingly be stymied by a lack of qualified workers.”
Demand has come from both strong population and economic growth in the area. The growth has prompted more projects for housing developments, mixed-use complexes and apartments.
The association’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, expressed concern over the rapid growth.
“All that economic activity means that there are fewer, qualified, workers available for construction firms to hire to keep pace with demand,” Sandherr said in a statement.
