Construction employment picture still mixed

The most recent construction data released by the U.S. Department of Labor presents the classic “is the glass half full or half empty” scenario, as more states lost jobs than gained them between January 2011 and 2010, but some states enjoyed notable gains.

The Associated General Contractors (AGC), Washington, D.C., said Texas (+33,400 jobs, +5.9 percent); Michigan (+8,300 jobs, +6.8 percent); Pennsylvania (+7,100 jobs, 3.3 percent); and Tennessee (+4,400 jobs, 4.3 percent) were among the 14 states that had the highest increases in construction employment between Jan. 2011 and Jan. 2010..

Thirty-six states lost jobs between January 2010 and 2011. AGC reported that the largest percentage drop in construction employment for the year occurred in Nevada (-12.9 percent, -8,400 jobs), followed by Georgia (-12.5 percent, -19,100 jobs); Wisconsin (-8.2 percent, -8,000 jobs); and Kentucky (-8.2 percent, 5,700 jobs). Florida lost the most construction jobs over the past 12 months (-24,000 jobs, -6.7 percent). Other states experiencing large overall declines in construction employment included Georgia; North Carolina (-13,900 jobs, 7.7 percent); and New York (-12,500 jobs, -4.0 percent). Details