May 2025: Construction Management Hiring Trends on the West Coast

Seattle

Construction employment in the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metro area was 118,000 in January 2025, down 3.7 percent from a year earlier Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Seattle area CPI-U advanced 2.5 percent over the 12 months ending February 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Portland

Construction employment in the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro metro area stood at 77,900 in January 2025, a 0.8 percent decline year-over-year Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation in the West Region, which serves as a proxy for Portland’s consumer prices, rose 2.6 percent over the 12 months ending February 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

San Francisco Bay Area

Construction employment in the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont metro area was 112,900 in January 2025, down 4.8 percent from January 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics. The San Francisco area CPI-U advanced 2.7 percent over the 12 months ending February 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Los Angeles

Construction employment in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area reached 244,700 in January 2025, a 4.0 percent decrease year-over-year Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Los Angeles area CPI-U advanced 3.1 percent over the 12 months ending February 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

San Diego

Construction employment in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad metro area was 88,200 in January 2025, down 1.9 percent from January 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics. The San Diego area CPI-U advanced 3.8 percent over the 12 months ending February 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Macro Context

Nationally, the construction industry added 13,000 jobs in March 2025, a 1.8 percent year-over-year gain ABC. Material input prices, as measured by the Producer Price Index for nonresidential construction, rose 0.6 percent in March 2025 and are up 0.8 percent over the past year ABC. Despite moderation from pandemic-era spikes, the gap between wage growth and inflation continues to strain labor markets across the West Coast.

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Sources

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA, Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.wa_seattle_msa.htm
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index, Seattle area — February 2025.” https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/ConsumerPriceIndex_Seattle.htm
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR-WA, Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.or_portland_msa.htm
4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index, West Region — February 2025.” https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/2025/consumerpriceindex_west_20250312.htm
5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca_sanfrancisco_msa.htm
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index, San Francisco Area — February 2025.” https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_sanfrancisco_20250312.htm
7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/ca_losangeles_msa.htm
8. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles area — February 2025.” https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_losangeles_20250312.htm
9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, Economy at a Glance. https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/ca_sandiego_msa.htm
10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index, San Diego Area — March 2025.” https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/2025/consumerpriceindex_sandiego_20250410.htm
11. Associated Builders and Contractors, “ABC: March Construction Employment Up Just 1.8% Year Over Year,” April 4 2025. https://www.abc.org/News-Media/News-Releases/categoryid/1065/Default