Construction Workers Account for Almost One-Third of Jobs Lost in August

Construction workers nationwide continued to bear the brunt of the recession, accounting for almost one-third of jobs lost this August, according to an analysis of new construction employment figures released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. AGC chief economist Ken Simonson noted that the new figures underscore how the current economic climate is having a disproportionate impact on the construction industry. "While most Americans are experiencing a recession, construction workers are being forced to cope with depression-like conditions," said  Simonson. "There's nothing good in today's report for the nation's construction workers." AGC's CEO Steve Sandherr called for federal agencies to convert stimulus project announcements into actual contracts and construction activity, noting that outside the U.S. Department of Transportation, few agencies have converted stimulus funds into new construction work. Read AGC's release here. The news was also covered in the Denver Post, New Jersey Business Journal and The Sierra Vista Herald, to name a few. For more information, contact Brian Turmail at (703) 837-5310 or turmailb@agc.org.