Industry Employment Declines in 28 States in Past Year
Construction employment declined in 28 states from September 2011 to September 2012 even as 30 states added jobs during the past month, according to a recent analysis of Labor Dept. data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the monthly gains, while welcome, were too small to offset the larger annual declines in many states.
“Even though a good number of states added jobs in September, most states have a smaller construction work force than they did a year ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Between the fiscal cliff, unset tax rates and declining public-sector investments, there are a lot of construction projects on hold as owners wait for a clearer picture of where the economy is heading.”