Prov. metro ranks 23rd in nation for construction job growth in March

THE PROVIDENCE-Warwick metropolitan area ranked 23rd in the nation for construction employment growth of 13 percent year over year in March. / COURTESY ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA
THE PROVIDENCE-Warwick metropolitan area ranked 23rd in the nation for construction employment growth of 13 percent year over year in March. / COURTESY ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA

PROVIDENCE – The Providence-Warwick metropolitan area ranked 23rd in the nation for 13 percent construction job growth year over year in March, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
Construction employment grew to 20,600 in March compared with 18,200 in March 2015, an increase of 2,400 jobs, the association said Wednesday.
The Providence metro was one of 244 metro areas out of 358 that saw construction employment increase over the year in March. The Norwich-New London-Westerly, Conn.-R.I. metro area also experienced an increase of 5 percent over the year, to 3,900 jobs from 3,700, ranking it 150th.
Construction employment was unchanged in 44 other areas and declined in 70 during the same time period.
“With more than two-thirds of the nation’s metro areas adding construction jobs it is clear that the demand for construction is broad-based geographically and by project type,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “The main soft patch for the construction industry remains the parts of the country most likely to be affected by declining energy prices.”
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. added the most construction jobs during the past year (11,900 jobs, 14 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in El Centro, Calif. (45 percent, 1,000 jobs).
The largest job loss was in Odessa, Texas (-2,700 jobs, -14 percent). The largest percentage decline for the past year was in Bloomington, Ill. (-15 percent, -400 jobs).

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