Thirty-six states lost construction jobs in 2010, as the industry shrank by 93,000 employees nationally, the Associated General Contractors of America reported in an analysis of state employment data released this week by the Labor Department.
“While it is nice to see the industry adding jobs in the most states since February 2008, the challenges facing this industry are still very severe,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Despite slight improvements in the construction employment picture, the industry is coping with weak demand, declining stimulus activity and a growing political aversion to investing in aging infrastructure.”