Construction Employment Down 36 Percent in El Centro, Calif., Up 12 Percent in Harrisburg, Pa., As Construction Spending Drops 13.2 Percent Compared to Last Year Construction employment declined in 324 out of 337 metropolitan areas over the past year as spending on construction projects dropped by over $137 billion in November to a 6-year low of $900 billion, according to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal figures released today. “Private nonresidential construction is in freefall, with every category except private power construction down sharply compared to a year ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s … Read more

Too Early to Know if Trend is Emerging As Kansas and Nebraska See Largest Increase; Vermont and Washington See Largest Decrease in Monthly Construction Employment Construction employment increased in 26 states this November during a period of warm, dry weather according to an analysis of new employment data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The analysis conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, however, found construction employment decreased everywhere except North Dakota over the past 12 months. “It is too early to say if the pickup reflects improving economic conditions or a short-lived break in the weather,” … Read more

Nevada and Arizona Experience Largest Declines and 41 States Experience Double-Digit Job Losses; Only Louisiana Adds Construction Jobs During the Past Year Construction employment again declined in large numbers in all but one state this September compared to last year according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government. The analysis, conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, also found that the number of states gaining construction jobs from August to September 2009 declined after increasing during the two previous months. “While there’s little doubt construction employment would have been worse without the … Read more