Construction jobs are on the rise in 158 of 339 metropolitan areas between February 2012 and February 2013 according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Association officials said that the industry’s long-awaited recovery could prove fleeting if public construction spending continues to decline and a reported immigration reform deal could undermine efforts to recruit skilled workers.
“While construction employment continues to decline in many parts of the country, the number of communities experiencing gains continues to expand,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist in a news release. “But the twin threats of additional public sector construction cuts and a looming shortage of certain types of construction workers could hurt the industry just as it is beginning to recover.”
Pascagoula, Miss. added the highest percentage of new construction jobs at 51 percent, followed by El Centro, Calif with 23 percent.
The largest job losses were in Northern Virginia at minus 5 percent followed by Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. with minus 7 percent.
The AGC said that the rebound in construction employment in many parts of the country is taking place despite a 17 percent decline in public sector construction spending during the past four years. They added that additional cuts, including $4 billion in construction cuts from the federal sequester, would have a significant impact, especially on firms that specialize in public sector work. They added that reports that an immigration reform proposal that includes severe limits on skilled construction workers would make it hard for recovering firms to find enough skilled workers.
“Between the dismantling of skills-based, vocational, education programs, the aging of the current workforce and years of bad economic news that have discouraged potential entrants from considering careers in construction, the pool of available skilled workers is relatively small,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer in a statement. “This industry could go from having too little work to having too few workers. Thus, it is critical for comprehensive immigration reform to include reasonable options to recruit temporary guest workers when domestic sources are exhausted.”