Despite rising in August, the number of New Yorkers working in construction dropped since summer drew to a close in 2011, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
The state gained 300 construction jobs between July and August of this year, bringing the total number of construction workers in the state to 297,500, according to a report AGC released today. That’s a gain of 0.1 percent and the 24th best gain in the nation.
A year-over-year comparison paints a bleaker picture, though. New York lost 7,700 industry jobs between August 2011 and August 2012, a decline of 2.5 percent in the construction workforce.
Construction employment dropped in 30 states between August of 2011 and August of 2012. It fell between July and August of this year in 26 states.
“Construction employment continues to decline in many states as key tax and infrastructure decisions languish in Washington,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson said in a news release. “Thousands more construction workers could be employed today in states across the country if we had long-term federal tax and infrastructure programs in place.”
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com