Atlanta is second to Orange County, California, in new hires for construction jobs.

Although not at its highest levels, construction employment is on the rise in the majority of metro cities and states reports the Associated General Contractors of America.

In fact, the Atlanta metro area ranks second in construction new hires adding 8,500 hires from October 2012 through October 2013. Orange County, California, added the largest number of construction jobs with 9,700 hires the trade association released.

“October was a good month for construction employment in many parts of the country,” Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist, said last week. He added, though, that “It will take many more months of strong jobs gains before construction employment returns to peak levels in many parts of the country.”