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U.S. construction employment increased by a net 11,000 jobs in September, even as state results varied: 25 states gained jobs and 21 lost them. Oregon had the largest monthly increase, while Wisconsin had the largest decline. Construction employment was up 109,000 jobs from September 2025, a 1.3% annual gain.
U.S. construction employment rose by a net 11,000 jobs in September, with 25 states adding jobs compared with August and 21 states recording declines, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Oregon posted the largest state-level monthly gain, while Wisconsin had the largest loss, showing how national growth coexisted with uneven local results.
Among states that reported increases, Oregon added 2,000 construction jobs, the largest monthly increase by number. Wisconsin recorded the biggest decrease, losing 3,300 jobs. Four states and the District of Columbia reported no month-over-month change. By percentage, Rhode Island had the strongest monthly rise, at 2.2%, while Alaska had the steepest fall, at 3.3%.
The national increase comes amid a mixed broader employment picture. Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 29,000 jobs in September, following an increase of 133,000 in August, the report said. Nonfarm payrolls increased in 23 states and D.C.; 25 states together lost 100,100 jobs. New York led overall state job gains with 19,600, followed by New Jersey with 14,900 and South Carolina with 12,500. Wisconsin had the largest overall state decline, losing 13,700 jobs.
On a year-over-year basis, construction employment increased by 109,000 jobs nationwide, or 1.3%, compared with September 2025. Louisiana led state gains, adding 18,800 construction jobs and recording the strongest percentage growth, at 13.9%. Georgia had the largest annual decline by number, with 4,900 fewer jobs, while Alaska had the steepest percentage drop, at 5.3%.
State Results Diverge From National Growth
The national construction total increased, but that figure does not describe every state’s labor market. The split between 25 states with monthly gains and 21 with losses points to varied local conditions rather than a uniform expansion. For contractors, building-material suppliers and other businesses serving construction, the state-level figures provide a more localized view of employment than the national net change alone.
The annual figures also give a different measure from the monthly count. A 1.3% year-over-year increase indicates that construction employment was higher than a year earlier, while the monthly state results show where employment rose or fell between August and September. Neither measure, by itself, identifies the causes of those changes or establishes how they will affect future construction activity.
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Monthly and Annual Measures Differ
The report separates month-over-month changes from year-over-year comparisons. The monthly numbers compare September with August and capture short-term movement; the annual figures compare September with the same month in 2025. These comparisons answer different questions, so a state’s result can vary depending on the time frame used.
The construction category in the analysis includes both residential and non-residential construction. Its state totals are part of a wider employment report in which overall payroll gains were concentrated in some states while losses were recorded in others. The figures provided by the source describe employment changes, not construction spending, project starts, wages, vacancies or the number of firms hiring.
Causes and Local Detail Not Provided
The source analysis reports employment totals and percentage changes but does not explain what drove the gains or losses in individual states. It also does not provide details about which construction subsectors, occupations or types of employers accounted for the changes. The figures therefore do not establish whether a state’s movement reflects sustained hiring, temporary shifts or other factors.
The cited material does not identify the underlying data release date or provide revisions, confidence ranges or additional monthly history. The national construction figure is a net change: it combines gains and losses and does not show the gross number of workers hired or separated. The available information also does not establish whether September’s pattern continued in subsequent months.
Future Reports Will Show Persistence
Subsequent state and national employment reports will indicate whether September’s 11,000-job construction gain was sustained, reversed or followed by a larger change. Updated figures may also clarify whether state-level gains spread more widely or remained concentrated in particular places.
For now, the report establishes a modest national monthly increase and a larger year-over-year gain, alongside substantial differences among states. It does not offer a forecast or identify a next construction-specific milestone beyond future employment data.
Key Questions
How many construction jobs did the U.S. add in September?
The construction sector recorded a net gain of 11,000 jobs nationwide compared with August, according to the NAHB analysis.
Which states had the largest monthly construction employment changes?
Oregon added 2,000 jobs, the largest state increase by number. Wisconsin had the largest decline, losing 3,300 jobs.
How many states gained construction jobs?
Twenty-five states added jobs from August to September, while 21 states lost jobs. Four states and the District of Columbia reported no change.
How did construction employment compare with September 2025?
Construction employment was up 109,000 jobs, or 1.3%, nationwide compared with September 2025. Louisiana led state growth by number, while Georgia recorded the largest state decline by number.
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