R.I. sees year-over-year construction job gain in August of 4.3%, No. 18 in U.S.

ACCORDING TO THE Associated General Contractors of America, Rhode Island had an increase of 0.6 percent in construction jobs from July to August, ranking it 20th on a list of all states, including the District of Columbia. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
ACCORDING TO THE Associated General Contractors of America, Rhode Island had an increase of 0.6 percent in construction jobs from July to August, ranking it 20th on a list of all states, including the District of Columbia. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island added 700 construction jobs from August 2013 to August 2014, a 4.3 percent increase, ranking it No. 18 in a listing of all states, including the District of Columbia, regarding construction employment.
The data, released by the Associated General Contractors of America, showed that construction employment increased in 36 states during the past year, and that 28 states added jobs between July and August as demand grew.
Rhode Island was one of the states that also added jobs between July and August. The state had an additional 100 construction jobs, a 0.6 percent increase, during that period, ranking it No. 20 on the list.
The state with the highest increase in construction jobs over the 12-month period was Nevada, which saw jobs grow 12.8 percent – from 56,400 jobs to 63,600. Florida gained the most overall jobs with 43,500 jobs, an 11.8 percent increase.
The state with the highest increase in jobs from July to August was Nebraska, with 1,800 additional jobs, a 4 percent gain. California added the most jobs at 13,600 from July to August, a 2.1 percent increase.
South Dakota had the largest job decline from July to August, experiencing a drop of 4.1 percent, or 900 fewer jobs. Over the past year, New Jersey had the largest decline, losing 11,300 jobs, an 8.1 percent fall.
Massachusetts lost 700 jobs from July to August, a 0.6 percent decline, ranking it No. 35 on the list. In the year-over-year period, Massachusetts gained 200 jobs, a 0.2 percent increase, ranking it No. 36.
“The number of states with increases in construction employment over the last 12 months moderated in August but remained strongly positive as construction activity continues to spread across most of the nation,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a press release. “While most states remain far below pre-recession peak employment levels, more states are approaching previous highs and more contractors have been reporting difficulty in hiring qualified workers. These trends are likely to intensify if the recovery in construction continues.”

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