The New Hampshire construction industry added a seasonally adjusted 2,500 jobs between December 2017 and December 2018, a 9.3 percent increase, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released Jan. 18.  

“The construction industry ended 2018 in good shape in nearly all parts of the country, and contractors are optimistic about the volume of work available in 2019,” AGCA chief economist Ken Simonson said in a statement. “But finding workers to execute those projects is likely to be a major challenge.” 

Nearly four out of five construction firms expect to add employees in 2019, he said, based on a survey the association released on Jan. 2. At the same time, 78 percent of the survey’s 1,312 respondents said their firm was have a hard time filling positions, and two-thirds of the respondents reported they expect it will be as hard or harder to hire workers in 2019.  

The survey did not include New Hampshire-specific data but stated that 86 percent of construction companies in the Northeast surveyed expected to increase their headcounts in 2019. Thirty-eight percent expected an increase of one to 10 workers, 19 percent expected an increase of 11 to 25 workers and 29 percent expected to hire more than 25 workers. 

Job openings in construction totaled 285,000 at the end of November, the highest November level in the 18 years that the Labor Department has published the series. The number of unemployed jobseekers with recent construction experience – 375,000 – was the lowest yet for that month. Together, these figures suggest contractors in many states cannot find experienced workers to fill vacancies, Simonson said. 

Massachusetts saw a 2,900 increase in jobs between December 2017 and December 2018 but lost 1,300 jobs between November and December of last year, a -0.8 percent decline. Maine had the second-steepest year over year percentage loss at -2.1 percent, or 600 jobs. 

Association officials said the higher cost of projects could dampen future private and public-sector demand. They urged Washington officials to increase funding for career and technical education and to quickly resolve trade disputes.  

“While demand remains strong for now, there is a real chance that higher construction costs will make new projects less viable,” Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO, said in a statement. “Getting more people into high-paying construction careers and easing trade disputes will help keep construction costs in check.”