PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s 12.2 percent construction employment increase was the largest in the nation in February, the Associated General Contractors of America said Friday.
Rhode Island’s construction employment grew by 2,200 jobs over the year, for a total of 20,200, the association said. Rhode Island was among 39 states that had over-the-year increases in construction employment. Ten states and the District of Columbia shed construction jobs over the year.
The AGCA said California added the most construction jobs year over year, adding 42,200 construction jobs, a 5.5 percent increase.
Illinois lost 4,900 construction jobs, the most in the nation, while Mississippi had the highest percentage construction job loss over the year at 10.4 percent.
The report also said that “more contractors are quoting longer completion times or passing up opportunities to bid on new projects as ways of coping with shortages of available qualified workers.”
Chris Bergenheim is a PBN staff writer
