Construction Employment Declined in 28 States Between September 2011 and 2012

Construction employment declined in 28 states from September 2011 to September 2012 even as 30 states added jobs during the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that the monthly gains, while welcome, were too small to offset the larger annual declines in many states. “Even though a good number of states added jobs in September, most states have a smaller construction workforce than they did a year ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Between the fiscal cliff, unset tax rates and declining public sector investments, there are a lot of construction projects on hold as owners wait for a clearer picture of where the economy is heading.” Read the full press release here. The news had local TV and radio coverage, as well as being covered in articles in the Tallahassee Democrat, Orange County Register, Wichita Eagle, Buffalo News, Memphis Commercial Appeal, KPHO-TV in Phoenix, KCOY-TV in California, Birmingham Business Journal, Dayton Business Journal, GSA Business, Kansas City Business Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly, New Orleans City Business, Orlando Business Journal, Phoenix Business Journal, St. Louis Business Journal, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Wichita Business Journal and the Commercial Record.