New York’s construction sector posts nearly 42 percent year-over-year loss in jobs in April

Construction employment in New York state fell by 167,700, or 41.7 percent, to 234,100 jobs in April from 401,800 jobs in the year-earlier month amid the COVID-19 shutdown, the New York State Department of Labor reported on May 21.

Only the leisure and hospitality industry, which lost 638,000 jobs, posted a larger percentage, year-over-year decline in jobs (-67.5 percent) in April than the construction sector. 

Trade, transportation & utilities (-357,300 jobs); education & health services (-227,200); and professional & business services (-190,500) had larger year-over-year declines in job totals than construction, but their percentage drops were smaller (-23.2 percent), (-10.5 percent), and (-13.9 percent), respectively.