Housing construction plays a key role in economic growth and community development by providing jobs, improving infrastructure, and supporting local businesses.
In the United States, it is a labor-based industry rather than a capital-based industry. As of October 2024, about 3.4 million people were employed in housing construction in the United States, of which 957,000 were home builders and 2.4 million were home contractors.
According to QCEW data for March 2024, employment in housing construction is unevenly distributed across the country. The LQ ratio ranged from 0.02 to 3.99. The highest job concentrations were found in the following regions:
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL (LQ: 3.99)
- Naples-Marco Island, FL (LQ: 3.47)
- Bozeman, MT (LQ: 3.12)
Florida, where the population is growing rapidly, has a particularly high concentration of employment in housing. All metro areas in the state have a higher LQ than the national average. Half of the top 10 cities with the highest concentration of employment in this sector are located in Florida.