![Iowa added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Hawaii, Idaho and Colorado.](https://img.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2016/08/Screen_Shot_2016_08_22_at_10.50.38_AM.57bb23b355d3a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=288&q=70&w=512)
Iowa added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Hawaii, Idaho and Colorado.
Thirty-nine state added construction jobs between July 2015 and July 2016 while construction employment only increased in 23 states and the District of Columbia between June and July, according to an Associated General Contractors of America analysis of Labor Department data. Association officials said construction employment likely declined in many states as firms have growing difficulty locating qualified workers to hire.