R.I. ranks 25th for 3.7% growth in construction jobs

Vinyl siding installer Jose Alfredo Garcia and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, are seen at a construction site on Ashbrook Drive in Western Cranston.
 / PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
Vinyl siding installer Jose Alfredo Garcia and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, are seen at a construction site on Ashbrook Drive in Western Cranston. / PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked 25th for its 3.7 percent growth in construction employment in January compared with January 2014, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Construction employment in the Ocean State grew to 16,900 in January, which is 600 more jobs than in January 2014.

The association said construction firms added jobs in 43 states and the District of Columbia between January 2014 and January 2015.

“Most of the country experienced a welcome rebound in construction employment last year,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Yet it is unclear how public sector demand and new regulatory requirements will overshadow relatively robust private-sector demand.”

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Texas added more new construction jobs (49,600 jobs, 7.9 percent growth) between January 2014 and January 2015 than any other state.

Other states that added a large number of new construction jobs over the past 12 months included California (37,800 jobs, 5.7 percent), Florida (31,800 jobs, 8.3 percent), Washington (17,300 jobs, 11.1 percent) and New York (16,400 jobs, 5.0 percent).

North Dakota (13.4 percent, 4,300 jobs) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Idaho (12.7 percent, 4,400 jobs), and Washington and Colorado (9.8 percent, 13,500 jobs).

Mississippi lost the highest percentage and total number of jobs (-6,600 jobs, -12.7 percent). Other states that lost a high number of jobs include Indiana (-1,900 jobs, -1.6 percent), West Virginia (-700 jobs, -2.1 percent), Minnesota (-700 jobs, -0.7 percent) and Maine (-500 jobs, -1.9 percent.)

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