R.I. loses construction jobs in October

Construction employment decreased in Rhode Island from September to October, the Associated General Contractors of America reported. From left to right, vinyl siding installer Jose Alfredo Garcia and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, are seen on the job in October at a Picerne Homes construction site  in western Cranston.
 / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
Construction employment decreased in Rhode Island from September to October, the Associated General Contractors of America reported. From left to right, vinyl siding installer Jose Alfredo Garcia and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, are seen on the job in October at a Picerne Homes construction site in western Cranston. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island lost 700 construction jobs from September to October, ranking it second-to-last among states for construction employment.
The data, released by the Associated General Contractors of America, showed a 4.1 percent decline in construction jobs for the Ocean State, from 17,100 in September to 16,400 in October.
Rhode Island was among 19 states that lost construction employment for the month.
But when comparing October 2013 with October 2014, the state gained 300 jobs, a 1.9 percent increase, ranking it No. 31 among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Vermont ranked last at No. 51 for a month-over-month drop of 6.8 percent, a loss of 1,000 jobs. On a year-over-year basis, New Jersey was last with an 8.1 percent drop, a loss of 11,100 jobs.
In comparison, Idaho gained the most jobs from September to October at a 3.6 percent increase, going from 33,200 to 34,200 jobs. Year-over-year, North Dakota gained the most jobs at 15 percent, going from 32,700 to 37,600 jobs.
The association said construction firms added jobs in 37 states and the District of Columbia between October 2013 and October 2014 while construction employment increased in 28 states and the District of Columbia between September and October.
“These year-over-year and one-month changes show that construction is doing well in most of the country,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Yet, the list of states that have added construction jobs varies from month to month, showing that the industry’s recovery remains vulnerable to worker shortages and unfavorable governmental actions.”
Association officials said a reason that job growth remains inconsistent in certain states is that many firms are struggling to cope with growing worker shortages, new regulatory burdens and flat, or declining, public sector investments in infrastructure and construction.
“Many firms are having a hard time expanding their payrolls as wages rise, costs grow and market demand remains varies greatly from one segment to the next,” Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO, said in a statement.

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