After sitting out much of the nation's economic recovery, the construction industry in hard hit states such as Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan began to see conditions ease this year, stemming the flow of job losses that curtailed thousands of workers year in and year out. Industry members in manufacturing-rich Indiana and Ohio, both star performers earlier in the recovery, weren't as lucky, as global demand for manufactured products slowed and construction job losses mounted.
In year over year comparisons, industry job losses in the two states ranked among the highest in the nation this year, according to data compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).