TL;DR
U.S. construction employment increased by 11,000 jobs in September, and 25 states added construction jobs compared with August. Oregon recorded the largest monthly gain by job count, while Rhode Island had the strongest percentage increase; results differed sharply by state.
U.S. construction employment rose by 11,000 jobs in September, with 25 states adding jobs compared with August, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Twenty-one states recorded construction job losses, while four states and the District of Columbia reported no change, showing that the national increase was spread unevenly across the country.
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Among states, Oregon posted the largest monthly gain by number of jobs, adding 2,000 construction positions. Wisconsin had the largest loss, shedding 3,300. Measured as a percentage of employment, Rhode Island recorded the strongest increase at 2.2%, while Alaska had the steepest monthly decline, at 3.3%. These figures describe changes from August to September, not year-over-year growth.
Over the 12 months through September, construction employment increased by 109,000 jobs nationwide, a 1.3% gain from September 2025, according to the source report. Louisiana led states in annual growth by both job count and percentage, adding 18,800 jobs for a 13.9% increase. Georgia recorded the largest annual job loss, at 4,900, while Alaska had the largest percentage decline, at 5.3%.
The broader labor market also showed mixed state results. Total U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 29,000 jobs in September, following a reported gain of 133,000 in August. Employment rose in 23 states and the District of Columbia compared with August. New York added the most nonfarm jobs, at 19,600, followed by New Jersey with 14,900 and South Carolina with 12,500. The 25 states reporting nonfarm payroll declines collectively lost 100,100 jobs; Wisconsin had the largest decline, at 13,700.
Construction Gains Varied by State
The national construction increase offers a measure of the sector’s direction, but state results show why a single U.S. total cannot describe local labor conditions. Twenty-five states gained construction jobs while 21 lost them, and the range extended from Oregon’s 2,000-job increase to Wisconsin’s 3,300-job decrease. Employers, contractors and building-material suppliers may find state-level changes more relevant to local hiring and demand than the national net figure alone.
The annual figures provide a separate view: construction employment was higher nationally than a year earlier, but growth was concentrated unevenly. Louisiana’s 13.9% rise contrasted with Alaska’s 5.3% decline. The report does not establish why those changes occurred, so the figures should be read as employment outcomes rather than evidence of a particular cause or forecast.
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Monthly and Annual Measures Differ
The report draws on state-level employment data for September and separates month-to-month changes from comparisons with the same month a year earlier. Those periods can show different patterns: a state may lose jobs between August and September while still having more construction workers than it did in September 2025.
Construction employment in the reported figures includes both residential and non-residential construction. The national construction total is a net change: state gains and losses combine to produce the reported increase of 11,000 jobs. The source report attributes its state-level analysis to the National Association of Home Builders. It does not provide, in the supplied material, details on revisions, seasonal adjustment or the specific data release used for each state figure.
In the broader payroll comparison, September’s national increase of 29,000 followed August’s 133,000 gain. That slowdown in the reported monthly total is a separate measure from the construction-sector increase; the two figures cover different scopes and should not be treated as interchangeable.
“State-level employment data for September continued to show a mixed labor market, with job gains and losses split across the country.”
— Hardware Retailing report summarizing state employment data
State-Level Causes Remain Unspecified
The reported figures establish how construction employment changed, but the supplied source material does not explain what drove the gains and losses in individual states. It also does not say whether the September totals may be revised, or provide details about seasonal adjustment and the underlying state estimates. The figures therefore do not, on their own, show whether changes reflect project schedules, hiring conditions, worker availability or other factors.
The annual comparison is identified as a 1.3% increase from September 2025, but the source material does not offer further detail on the calculation or on how the state rankings might change after revisions. No forecast is provided for employment in the months ahead.
Watch for Revised Employment Data
The next useful update will be subsequent monthly employment data, which can show whether September’s construction gain continues, reverses or varies by state. Readers should also look for any revisions to the September estimates and for updated year-over-year comparisons. Until those releases provide more detail, the available report supports a limited conclusion: construction employment rose nationally in September, but state results were divided.
Key Questions
How many construction jobs were added nationally in September?
Construction employment increased by a net 11,000 jobs nationwide between August and September, according to the NAHB analysis cited in the report.
How many states gained construction jobs?
Twenty-five states added construction jobs compared with August. Twenty-one states lost jobs, and four states plus the District of Columbia reported no change.
Which state had the largest monthly construction job gain?
Oregon recorded the largest gain by number of jobs, adding 2,000. Rhode Island had the strongest monthly increase by percentage, at 2.2%.
Which state had the largest construction job decline?
Wisconsin had the largest monthly decline by number, losing 3,300 construction jobs. Alaska recorded the steepest percentage decline, at 3.3%.
Did construction employment grow over the year?
Yes. Nationwide construction employment was up 109,000 jobs, or 1.3%, from September 2025 to September 2026, as reported in the source material.
Source: rss
