South Carolina loses 3,100 construction jobs in year

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South Carolina lost 3,100 jobs in the construction industry between May 2018 and May 2019, according to a report from the Associated General Contractors of America on statistics from the United States Department of Labor.

The decline equals about 3% of South Carolina’s construction workforce and represents the second-highest job loss in the country.

The report showed 39 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs.

South Carolina was one of 10 states that lost industry jobs. Louisiana sustained the most losses with 9,100, followed by South Carolina, Maryland, Mississippi, Maine and Missouri. Click here to see the data.

Texas added the most construction jobs during the year with 35,200, followed by California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada.

“Construction demand remains strong, and contractors increased their workforce in most states over the past year, yet the record number of job openings at the end of April implies contractors would add even more workers if they could,” AGC chief economist Ken Simonson said in the release. “With the unemployment rate now near a 50-year low, it is more challenging than ever for contractors to hire and retain qualified employees.”