While U.S. construction employment is still behind lofty pre-recession highs, San Diego is one of the metropolitan areas reporting steady job growth in the home-building sector.
A new analysis from CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International ranked San Diego fourth nationally in growth in residential construction jobs since 2011.
| Metro Area | 2014 Total Jobs | % Growth 2011-2014 | |
| 1. | Austin-Round Rock, TX | 7,075 | 20% |
| 2. | Rochester, NY | 3,109 | 19% |
| 3. | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 3,224 | 16% |
| 4. | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 13,315 | 16% |
| 5. | Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 3,727 | 16% |
Commercial and industrial building is outpacing residential construction, despite strong growth in remodeling and new housing developments, and San Diego did not make the top 10 list in that category. The report found that the fastest growing sector overall in the United States is heavy and civil engineering construction.
“It will be awhile before employment in construction reaches levels seen during the housing bubble, but recent job growth, particularly in residential remodeling and industrial construction, signal healthier consumer confidence and private-sector investment,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.
“We’re seeing significant year-over-year increases in job listings on CareerBuilder across a range of titles, including laborers, building inspectors, carpenters, and operating engineers.”
CareerBuilder operates the largest job site in the United States with more than 1 million jobs listed. Economic Modeling Specialists is a CareerBuilder company that uses labor market data to produce economic reports.
