Construction employment in forty-nine states and the District of Columbia declined between February 2009 and February 2010, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.
As construction job losses extend into their third year, the new data highlights the need to expand the Build America Bond program, trade group officials noted. “With only one exception, the construction jobs picture varies from bleak to bad all across the country,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “We can’t afford to turn our back on any opportunity to boost investments in infrastructure and construction.”
Alaska was the only state to see an increase in construction employment (0.6 percent, 100 jobs) between February 2009 and February 2010.
Association officials urged the U.S. Senate to authorize an expansion of a range of infrastructure bonding programs including Build America Bonds, which were first made available as part of the stimulus package and have been used to provide over $70 billion to finance 834 different infrastructure projects.
Click here for state-by-state construction employment data.
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