Construction employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia between February 2011 and February 2012, while 18 states lost construction jobs and two held steady. It was the best net positive showing for state construction employment since January 2007, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. And 29 states and D.C. added construction jobs between January and February of this year, while 21 states decreased.
“The number of states with year-over-year construction job gains keeps rising, which is very encouraging,” said Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist. “But the industry is still struggling in too many states to declare that construction is in full recovery.”
Simonson said North Dakota had the largest percentage gain in construction jobs between Feb. 2011 and Feb. 2012 (18.8 percent, 4,200 jobs), followed by D.C. (13.2 percent, 1,500 jobs) and Tennessee (7.9 percent, 8,400 jobs). Pennsylvania added the most jobs (9,900, 4.5 percent), followed by Tennessee and Texas (8,100 jobs, 1.4 percent).
