While a new nationwide report shows Nevada experiencing the largest percentage decline in construction jobs over the past year, local construction leaders say the Las Vegas valley is largely unaffected.
According to the AGC of America, Nevada construction employment fell from 110,600 in August 2024 to 103,500 in August 2025, a 6.4% year-over-year decrease and 4.1% drop from July to August 2025, ranking last nationwide in percentage terms.
Despite these figures, Mike Shohet, President of Compass Development, said, “We haven’t seen that, in fact our business is steady. We build every product type except single-family residential, so office buildings, medical office, retail, industrial, multi-family, and hospitality.”
Tommy White, Business Manager and Secretary-Treasurer of LIUNA Local 872, agreed: “I just don’t see a downturn in the construction we do. We have just close to 4,000 members in this local, and we have about 280 on our out-of-work list.”
White and Shohet attribute the reported job loss largely to the residential construction sector. “Home building has certainly slowed, fewer permits drawn, fewer housing starts,” Shohet said. Current Las Vegas housing data shows 9,474 homes listed in August 2025, with 7,206 without offers, indicating a growing inventory.
Large commercial projects in the valley, such as roadwork, casino expansions, the Athletics ballpark, Brightline West high-speed rail, and Formula 1 infrastructure, continue to keep construction workers employed.
White also noted the broader statewide report might reflect declines outside the valley: “The loss of construction jobs could also be more prevalent elsewhere outside of the valley.”
Looking forward, both Shohet and White anticipate local construction growth to continue, driven by ongoing commercial developments and decreasing mortgage rates.
“We expect construction jobs will actually increase soon locally,” White said, highlighting the ongoing demand for skilled labor in Las Vegas despite statewide statistics.
Originally reported by Ryan Ketcham in KTNV.
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