City Grill

Wayne L. Hammon

CEO

AGC of Idaho

It’s a good time to be in construction in Idaho, Hammon says. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently ranked the state first in the nation in post-pandemic job growth. This recovery includes the construction industry, with Idaho being one of only 14 states nationwide to have more people working in construction now than before the pandemic. “Idaho, and more specifically the Boise area, is coming out of the pandemic at full speed. The only thing slowing down construction in the Gem State is the lack of skilled tradespeople and soaring material costs,” he says.

In late May, the Idaho Legislature passed the largest road and bridge funding package in the state’s 131-year history. More than $1.6 billion in public works will keep highway contractors busy. “The demand for multifamily housing also is keeping contractors busy. In the suburbs of Boise, Idaho Falls and elsewhere, the demand for housing is putting continued pressure on our ability to keep pace. Just over the horizon is a massive investment in new structures at the Idaho National Lab, work that will bring over $1 billion in construction activities to Idaho in each of the next five years,” Hammon says.