Construction employment slips in Central New York in July

Construction employment declined or held steady in Central New York’s metropolitan areas between July 2011 and July 2012, according to an analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

The Syracuse and Ithaca areas posted the strongest employment statistics in the CNY region simply by treading water, according to the analysis, which the Arlington, Va.–based construction trade group released Aug. 28. Syracuse had 13,100 construction jobs in both July 2011 and July 2012, while Ithaca held steady with 1,200 employees in the industry.

Central New York jobs in construction fell most drastically in the Utica–Rome area, falling 8 percent from 3,700 in July 2011 to 3,400 this July. Binghamton experienced a 4-percent decrease in construction workers, from 4,800 last year to 4,600 now. And, Elmira’s construction employment slipped by 5 percent from 2,200 jobs to 2,100 jobs.

Central New York’s results are similar to much of the country, as the AGC reported construction employment declining in 165 of 337 metropolitan areas and remaining unchanged in 49 more regions. Employment in the field increased in the remaining 123 metropolitan areas.

“Construction employment is healthy in the handful of areas where private-sector demand is on the rebound,” the AGC’s chief economist, Ken Simonson, said in a news release. “However, construction employment in most metro areas is suffering from the effects of tepid private-sector demand and shrinking public-sector construction budgets.”

Statewide, New York lost 2 percent of its construction jobs between July 2011 and July 2012. The state had 320,900 positions this July, compared to 327,700 a year ago.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com