R.I. in top 20 for construction job growth in Nov.

VINYL SIDING installer Jose Alfredo Garcia, left, and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, right, are seen at a Picerne Homes construction site on Ashbrook Drive in Western Cranston this past summer.
 / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
VINYL SIDING installer Jose Alfredo Garcia, left, and Josh Smith, branch manager for Archer Exteriors, right, are seen at a Picerne Homes construction site on Ashbrook Drive in Western Cranston this past summer. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island landed in the top 20 for the number of construction jobs it added year-over-year in November, and from October to November, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
The Ocean State gained 600 jobs year-over-year, with 16,700 in November, a 3.7 percent increase, ranking it 20th among the states and District of Columbia. From October to November, construction jobs grew 1.8 percent, as 300 more jobs were added, ranking it 12th.

North Dakota ranked first for adding the highest percentage of new construction jobs on a year-over-year basis, with a 16.2 percent gain. Vermont had the highest percentage increase for the month, with an 8.1 percent gain in November, followed by Alaska (5 percent, 800 jobs), and New Jersey (4.2 percent, 5,200 jobs) and New Hampshire (3.6 percent, 800 jobs).

Year-over-year, Vermont ranked 27th for job growth of 2.1 percent.
The association said that construction firms added jobs in 38 states and the District of Columbia between November 2013 and November 2014, while construction employment increased in 26 states and D.C. between October and November.
“Construction job growth remains positive overall but volatile,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Although more than three-quarters of states have added construction jobs from year-earlier levels throughout 2014, the list of states with gains keeps changing. Only North Dakota, Louisiana and Oklahoma have exceeded their pre-recession peaks for construction employment this year, while most states are still at least 10 percent below previous highs.”
Texas added more new construction jobs (47,300 jobs, 7.7 percent) between November 2013 and November 2014 than any other state.
West Virginia lost the highest percentage of construction jobs year-over-year (-11.3 percent, -3,800 jobs).

Association officials said the best way to ensure more stability in the construction market was for Congress and the Obama administration to work together to fund needed repairs to aging roads, transit, clean water and other infrastructure systems. “Investing in infrastructure will keep our economy vibrant while providing needed consistency to a construction sector that is experiencing a mild and inconsistent recovery,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer.
View the lost by state rank HERE.

- Advertisement -

No posts to display

1 COMMENT

  1. Important development because this industry, already undersized compared to States of similar size, has suffered significantly since 2008. Other than some renovations there are no big projects breaking ground and there is a absence of any building cranes in downtown Providence, for example. That is not true elsewhere in the nation.