Jan. R.I. construction employment dips 5.6%

PROVIDENCE – Construction employment in Rhode Island slid 5.6 percent in January compared with the same month last year, the Associated General Contractors of America said recently.
The trade association said the industry employed 15,300 people in January, down from 16,200 the previous January. Still, the number of workers in January 2011 represented a 200-person increase over employment in December. Including Rhode Island, 29 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between December and January.
“Despite those monthly gains, we’re still a long way from seeing the kind of construction employment figures states experienced in 2006 and 2007,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. &#8226