Increases in public-sector construction spending, driven by stimulus funds, helped boost total construction activity by almost $2 billion between February and March, according to AGC's analysis of federal spending figures released Monday.

AGC connected the Wall Street Journal with chief economist Ken Simonson to comment for a story about how one company has begun all-too-rare construction of a corporate headquarters to take advantage of low construction costs.

Construction employment expanded in 26 states and the District of Columbia between February and March 2010, yet only Arkansas and North Dakota have more construction workers than they did a year ago, according to AGC's analysis of federal employment figures released Friday.

Construction spending tumbled in February by $11.6 billion, or 1.3 percent, to $846 billion, a low last recorded in 2002, according to AGC's analysis of new federal figures. Declines occurred relative to both the month before and February 2009 in most categories of private residential and nonresidential construction, as well as public construction, AGC's chief economist Ken Simonson noted.

Construction spending in January fell by $5.5 billion to $884 billion, its lowest level since June 2003, according to AGC's analysis of new federal figures. Declining investments in private-sector non-residential construction and public construction at all levels of government drove the decline, AGC's chief economist Ken Simonson said.

Overall U.S. job growth continued to be undermined by the severe downturn affecting the construction industry as another 75,000 construction workers lost their jobs in January 2010 and the industry's unemployment rate jumped to 24.7 percent, according to federal employment figures released Friday.  Excluding construction job losses, nonfarm payroll employment actually rose for the second time in three months, AGC said.

AGC's Ken Simonson talked to CNBC News about what's in store for the economy, including the construction industry, in 2010.  Simonson discussed the results of a National Association for Business Economics survey. Watch the video here.

For the first time since the start of the economic downturn, every state and the District of Columbia reported losing construction jobs over the past twelve months, according to AGC's analysis of state-by-state employment data released Friday. The analysis found few signs of a construction industry recovery with only six states reporting construction job increases between November and December 2009.

AGC's chief economist urged owners to take advantage of low materials prices and contractors anxious for work, as a recent survey of AGC members and analysis of the producer price index showed the "sale" may soon come to an end.

Ken Simonson, AGC's chief economist, issued a statement yesterday in response to an Associated Press story that looked at the impact of stimulus-funded highway projects on overall construction employment.