But contractors say the Sarasota-Bradenton metro area needs bigger labor force. Construction employment continued to grow at the end of 2019 in Southwest Florida, but payrolls still trail their peak levels. Contractors in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties hired 1,900 additional workers during the 12-month period ended in December, according to a new report from the Associated General Contractors of …

Florida leads the nation in unemployment rates in the construction industry, at 2.4-percent unemployment. This is down from a year ago and is Florida’s lowest December rate on record, based on the Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Feb. 5. “The construction industry is booming, especially here on the Gulf Coast of Florida,” said …