With demand for construction hot nationwide, many builders are struggling to find the professionals they need to keep up. A recent forecast by a national trade association estimated that 501,000 more construction professionals will be needed in the industry this year, plus an additional 454,000 in 2025, on top of normal employment. Many employers are reporting particular difficulties in finding enough workers who can fill roles that require more specialized skills or knowledge.
All of this is good news for many experienced construction professionals or those considering entering the profession. Workers with the necessary experience or training may have higher wages or other benefits as their skills are in high demand. Those looking to make a career change can currently find ample opportunities for entry-level construction jobs that pay better than other roles with similar educational requirements.
US construction spending
Real construction spending has nearly doubled since the low in 2011
Source: US Census Bureau data construction coverage analysis | Image credit: Construction Coverage
Construction costs give an idea of how much potential there is in the industry. After the Great Recession, construction spending fell to an annualized rate of $758 billion in February 2011 (equivalent to about $1.1 trillion in 2024 dollars). However, since then, inflation-adjusted construction spending has increased by over 95%, surpassing the $2 trillion mark in mid-2023.
Between 2011 and 2018, residential and non-residential construction spending experienced steady growth, albeit with small fluctuations. However, in 2019, both sectors saw a slight decline before recovering in 2020. The residential construction sector witnessed notable growth between 2020 and 2022, driven by unprecedented demand and historically low interest rates. . However, as interest rates have risen, housing demand has moderated, leading to a decline from its peak. Conversely, non-residential construction initially fell at the start of the pandemic, but has since experienced a strong revival. This increase can be largely attributed to bipartisan legislation that has created funding for both public sector infrastructure projects and private sector manufacturing and clean energy initiatives.
US construction employment numbers
Total construction employment remains below historical levels
Source: Construction Coverage Analysis of US Bureau of Labor Statistics data | Image credit: Construction Coverage
Despite record spending levels, the construction industry has been plagued by poor employment numbers since the last recession. After peaking at nearly 10 million jobs during the housing bubble, construction employment fell to less than 7 million during the Great Recession and had been on an upward trend for most of the past decade before the COVID pandemic hit -19. Closures at the start of the pandemic briefly sent construction employment down to about 6.5 million in April 2020, but industry employment has recovered to about 8.6 million currently. While the recovery is evident, these employment numbers remain about 11% below the 2007 peak of 9.8 million, again underscoring the need for more workers in this field.
With these trends in mind, researchers at Construction Coverage, a website that provides construction insurance guides, set out to identify the most popular construction jobs and understand which industry roles are most common in each state.
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular construction industry occupations in Kentucky:
- Most popular profession: Construction Workers
- Percentage of total state employment in construction: 19.7%
- Total employment: 14,140
- Average annual salary: $42,230
- Second most popular profession: Electricians
- Percentage of total state employment in construction: 13.4%
- Total employment: 9620
- Average annual salary: $57,140
- The third most popular profession: Front-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Percentage of total state employment in construction: 11.3%
- Total employment: 8120
- Average annual salary: $67,980
For a complete list of construction occupations in Kentucky, a detailed methodology and complete results for the rest of the US, see Top Construction Jobs in the US on Construction Coverage.
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