AGC Reports Construction Employment Declines In 333 Out Of 352 Metropolitan Areas In June

The analysis, which ranks the 12-month construction employment change reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 352 metro areas, shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
 
According to Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist, construction employment declined in 333 metropolitan areas since June-2008. According to the data, Pascagoula, Miss., and Reno-Sparks, Nevada, both lost one out of every three construction jobs over the past year. More than 200 metropolitan areas suffered double-digit percentage declines in construction employment in the past 12 months, Simonson added.
 
Simonson noted that only ten cities have seen increases in construction employment since last June. Those cities include Columbus, Ind., where construction employment shot up more than 31 percent from the previous June, and the Weirton-Steubenville area along the West Virginia-Ohio border where construction employment climbed almost 17 percent.
 
"This recession won't be over for most communities until we find a way to get construction workers across the country back on the job," said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC chief executive officer. "That's why we need to act now to ensure the stimulus' sequel isn't idle cranes and empty work boots."
 
According to the announcement, Sandherr urged Congress to pass a surface transportation bill that the association estimates would create or save over 616,000 jobs for each of its six years. He added that Washington also needed to act on long-delayed legislation to finance vital water, aviation and maritime infrastructure projects.