Construction jobs increased in Providence metro in September

THE PROVIDENCE-FALL-RIVER-WARWICK metropolitan area saw its construction employment increase 5 percent in September to 22,800 jobs, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.   / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/SIMON DAWSON
THE PROVIDENCE-FALL-RIVER-WARWICK metropolitan area saw its construction employment increase 5 percent in September to 22,800 jobs, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/SIMON DAWSON

PROVIDENCE – The Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area saw its construction employment increase 5 percent in September to 22,800 jobs, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
The area ranked 128th out of 339 areas the association studied in terms of its growth rate.

It also was one of 236 nationwide that saw construction employment grow between 2013 and 2014 amid growing demand and worker shortages, the association said. Fifty-three other metropolitan areas saw construction employment decline. Fifty other areas had stagnant employment, it said.
“It is good news that construction employment gains have spread to more than two-thirds of the nation’s metro areas,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, said in a statement. “But there is a growing risk that contractors in many of these regions will have trouble finding qualified workers to complete the rising volume of projects.”

The New Bedford metro experienced an 11 percent increase of construction jobs to a total of 3,100, giving it a rank of No. 35 in the nation.
Worcester ranked No. 84, with a 7 percent gain to 9,400 construction jobs, while the Norwich-New London, Conn., metro ranked No. 22, with growth of 14 percent to 4,200 jobs.
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, added the largest number of construction jobs in the past year (13,500 jobs, 7 percent), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (10,100 jobs, 9 percent).
The largest percentage gains occurred in Owensboro, Ky. (33 percent, 900 jobs), and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Fla. (26 percent, 1,000 jobs).
The largest job losses from September 2013 to September 2014 were in Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz. (-6,900 jobs, -7 percent), followed by Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md. (-4,100 jobs, -12 percent). The largest percentage decline for the past year was in Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.V. (-21 percent, -400 jobs), giving it the rank of 339.
“The job gains have become more widespread but are still spotty,” Simonson said.
Association officials noted that a recent construction industry survey it conducted found 83 percent of construction firms report having a difficult time finding qualified craft workers. They called on federal, state and local officials to act on the measures outlined in the association’s workforce development plan to make it easier to establish new programs designed to prepare students for high-paying careers in construction.
“Many firms that have begun expanding their payrolls are finding it hard to locate qualified workers to fill key positions,” Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO, said in a statement. “Unless we find ways to expand training opportunities for high school students and young adults, labor shortages are likely to undermine the industry’s recovery.”
View construction employment figures HERE.

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