Const. Employment Down in 57% of Metro Areas SHARE April 29, 2021 Construction employment decreased from March 2020 to March 2021 in 203, or 57 percent, of the nation’s metro areas, according to AGC. Association officials said that the industry’s broader recovery in many parts of the country is being hampered by rising materials prices, supply chain disruptions, and project cancellations. “Nearly twice as many metros have lost construction jobs as gained them in the past 12 months, even though homebuilding has recovered strongly and the overall economy is in much better shape than it was a year ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Nonresidential construction is still at risk of further declines in much of the country.”