Construction firms bounce back, remain wary of long-term effects from pandemic

Michigan had the largest percentage increase in construction jobs among dozens of states from April to May, as firms rebounding from COVID-19 are showing cautious optimism in hopes of the overall economy following suit.

As workers returned to the job sites after being forced to close as part of coronavirus mitigation measures, Michigan added some 50,500 jobs in the construction industry in May, according to data from the Associated General Contractors of America. That marked an increase of 51.4 percent from April to May, which ranked first among all states in terms of the percentage gain. 

However, despite the growth, the construction industry employs 29,800 fewer workers than it did in March of this year, around the beginning of the pandemic. 

Holland-based EV Construction is still working through a backlog of projects from when nonessential work was put on hold for six weeks across the state to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The firm remained 70 percent operational during the shutdown because of jobs that were considered essential in health care and manufacturing. EV Construction furloughed 20 of its 160 employees, but was able to call them all back once the industry reopened.

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