Amazon

Louisiana’s construction industry is adding workers faster than any other state by percentage, and Northwest Louisiana could be one of the places where that growth becomes most visible. 7 percent increase. According to a recent story by Louisiana Radio Network , The Associated General Contractors of America ranked Louisiana first in the nation for percentage growth in construction employment over the 12-month period. The state finished fifth in the total number of jobs added, behind Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Illinois. Louisiana also added 2,000 construction jobs from May to June, showing that the hiring increase was not limited to one project or one part of the year.

READ MORE: Buc-ee's in Ruston is Already Hiring Reldon Owens, CEO of the Louisiana Associated General Contractors, said major data center and industrial projects are helping fuel the demand. “We’ve got great growth in the construction sector, and we think in the next 5-7 years it’s going to continue,” Owens said. For the Shreveport - Bossier area, Amazon’s planned $12 billion data center investment could add another major source of construction work. The campuses are planned for sites across Caddo and Bossier parishes, with STACK Infrastructure leading development.

Louisiana Economic Development says the project could support as many as 1,500 construction jobs during the buildout.