Gulf Coast regions see strong growth in construction jobs

The number of construction workers along the Gulf Coast is rising rapidly, according to data from the Associated General Contractors of America.

Those increases contributed to a strong statewide boost, the data shows. Florida as a whole saw a 6% increase in construction jobs from March 2015 to March 2016, rising from 416,600 in 2015 to 441,500 in 2016, the report says.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater region, with an 11% year-over-year jump, had the third largest percentage increase in Florida. The Miami metro area topped the list at 18% and Orlando placed second at 14%. To go along with its significant percentage uptick, the Tampa metro area employs 69,100 construction workers, the most of any region in the state.

Just two regions statewide — West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin — posted year-over-year decreases. Every region on the Gulf Coast had an increase of at least 5%.

Here's a look at each Gulf Coast region's year-over-year change:
Region: % change
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater: 11%
Lakeland-Winter Haven: 8%
Cape Coral-Fort Myers: 6%
Punta Gorda: 6%
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island: 5%
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton: 5%