R.I. construction employment falls again

PROVIDENCE – Construction employment in Rhode Island dropped 7.5 percent in April compared with the same month last year, the Associated General Contractors of America said last week.
The trade association said the industry employed 14,900 people in April, down from 16,100 the April prior. Rhode Island was one of 30 states to see construction employment in April fall compared with the same month last year, contractors said.
Rhode Island construction employment in April slid by 600 people – or 4 percent – when compared with March, the contractors added. The Ocean State joined 27 other states in seeing a fall from March to April. Another 22 states and Washington, D.C., saw increases while employment in two states remained level.
“It is good to see more states adding construction jobs for the year in April than at any point since February 2008,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, most of the gains were modest at best while the losses were more severe in more states than last month.”
Annual construction employment gains were less than 3 percent in all but four states. Four states – Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin – experienced double-digit construction job losses.