Construction employment remained on a seesaw in April as only 19 states added jobs, 28 states and the District of Columbia had declines and three states maintained March employment levels, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. The year-over-year figures showed a similar but slightly better pattern, association officials added, as 22 states and D.C. posted construction employment increases between April 2011 and 2012. while 27 lost jobs and employment was unchanged in Rhode Island. “The close balance between job gainers and losers among states reflects the sluggish growth in construction nationally,” … Read more

The construction industry lost 2,000 jobs in April, following similar declines of 3,000 in March and 1,000 in February, but still added 63,000 jobs over the past year as the industry unemployment rate shrank to 14.5 percent—the lowest April level in four years, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that lack of long-term federal highway and transit funding, along with other infrastructure budget cuts, threatens to limit construction job growth. “The plunge in the unemployment rate for former construction workers from 17.8 percent in April 2011 … Read more

Construction employment increased in 155 out of 337 metropolitan areas between March 2011 and March 2012, decreased in 134 and stayed level in 48, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said fewer metro areas added construction jobs in March compared to February because of disruptions to typical hiring patterns caused by weather. “While last March firms were getting a late start to the construction season because the winter was so cold, this year's warm winter allowed many firms to do their typical spring hiring in February,” said … Read more

Construction employment increased in 171 out of 337 metropolitan areas between February 2011 and February 2012, decreased in 119 and stayed level in 47, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said employment was increasing in many metro areas thanks in large part to growing private sector demand for construction. “It is encouraging that the number of metro areas experiencing construction job gains outpaced the number of areas with losses,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “The increases would be even more widespread if not for public … Read more

The construction industry lost 7,000 jobs between February and March, following a similar decline of 6,000 the month before, but extended a pattern of modest year-over-year job increases, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that lack of long-term federal highway and transit funding threatens to hold down future job gains. “Both the small monthly change and the March-to-March gain of 55,000 jobs or 1 percent are consistent with the uneven, tentative recovery that contractors have been reporting nationwide,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. He … Read more