In 2026, seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 28 states from June to July. According to the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC) analysis of BLS data from Aug. 21, Illinois added the most construction jobs during this time period, at 3,200 jobs. Ohio led closely behind with 3,000, followed by California with 2,900, Florida with 2,900 and Louisiana with 2,300.
For the first seven months of 2026 combined, compared to January-July 2025, the value of construction starts, not seasonally adjusted, climbed 5.9% year-to-date (YTD). However, residential starts decreased 17% YTD, with single-family down 21% and apartments down 12%.
