The not seasonally adjusted (NSA) national construction unemployment rate plunged 4.6% in December 2021 from a year ago, from 9.6% to 5%, while all 50 states had lower unemployment rates over the same period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This substantial improvement occurred even as the omicron variant was sweeping the nation.

While not fully recovered to its pre-pandemic level, national NSA construction employment was 163,000 higher than in December 2020. Seasonally adjusted construction employment was only 96,000, or 1.3%, below its February 2020 peak, before the impact of the pandemic began to affect employment numbers. This beat national seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment, which, although improving, was still 2.2% below its February 2020 peak as of December 2021.

The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 5% was unchanged in December 2021 from its December 2019 reading. Over that same period, 34 states had lower construction unemployment rates and 16 states had higher rates.

The five states with the lowest December 2021 estimated NSA construction unemployment rates were:

• Nebraska: 1.3%
• Indiana and Utah (tie): 1.5%
• Georgia: 1.6%
• Oklahoma: 2%

The states with the highest December 2021 estimated NSA construction unemployment rates were:

• New Jersey: 8.3%
• Michigan: 8.6%
• North Dakota: 9%
• New York: 9.5%
• Alaska: 10%