Metro area adds 900 construction jobs for April

CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area increased 5 percent in April compared with a year earlier. / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/SIMON DAWSON
CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area increased 5 percent in April compared with a year earlier. / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/SIMON DAWSON

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area added 900 construction jobs over the year ended in April, an increase of 5 percent that earned the region a spot at No. 122 in a ranking of U.S. metro areas in terms of year-over-year net employment gain, according to the Associated General Contractors of America jobs report released Tuesday.

Altogether, 220 of the 339 metro areas nationwide reported construction job growth year over year in April, while 70 metros showed declines and 49 showed no change in employment.

“Construction employment appears to be rebounding in many parts of the country,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the AGC. “Declines in federal spending likely depressed construction employment near Washington, while of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy may be having an impact on construction employment in metro areas in New Jersey.”

The largest percentage year-over-year gains on construction employment for April were posted in El Centro, Calif., with 42 percent growth and a gain of 800 jobs, followed by Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio, with 35 percent growth of 600 jobs, and Pascagoula, Miss., with 27 percent growth and 1,500 jobs.

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Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. posted the largest decline, dropping 18 percent and losing 900 jobs. Also ranking at the bottom of the list for April were Gary, Ind., which dropped 15 percent and lost 2,900 jobs, and Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, N.J., which dropped 13 percent and lost 300 jobs.

Regionally, the New Bedford metro area saw a 13 percent gain year over year, adding 300 construction jobs for a total of 2,700 in April 2014. New Bedford ranked at No. 23 among the nation’s metros for construction employment growth.

In the Norwich-New London metro area, which falls in both Connecticut and Rhode Island, construction employment rose 3 percent year over year in April to 4,000 jobs from 3,900 jobs a year earlier, ranking the region No. 163.

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