R.I. second-highest in nation for construction employment growth in February

RHODE ISLAND RANKED second in the nation - behind only Hawaii - for year-over-year construction employment growth in the nation in February at 14.6 percent. / COURTESY ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA
RHODE ISLAND RANKED second in the nation - behind only Hawaii - for year-over-year construction employment growth in the nation in February at 14.6 percent. / COURTESY ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked second in the nation for its nearly 15 percent construction employment growth in February, the Associated General Contractors of America said Friday.

Rhode Island saw construction employment grow to 18,800 jobs in February, compared with 16,400 in February 2015.

Rhode Island trailed only Hawaii for the adding the highest percentage of construction jobs year over year – Hawaii’s construction employment increased 19.1 percent during that time period, the association said.
Massachusetts added the third-highest percentage of construction jobs at 11 percent, or 14,600 jobs, to 147,700 from 133,100.
Citing U.S. Labor Department data, the association said 43 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between February 2015 and February 2016.
“In most of the country, construction continues to outpace other industries in adding jobs,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, said in a statement. “Contractors remain upbeat about demand for many types of projects, but they are having difficulty finding enough qualified workers.”

Simonson noted that job openings spiked in January, according to the latest survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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California added the most construction jobs (53,800 jobs, 7.6 percent) between February 2015 and February 2016.
North Dakota lost the highest percent and total number of construction jobs (-14.5 percent, -5,300 jobs).

“The states with the steepest declines in construction jobs during the past 12 months have been hurt by the pullback in oil and gas drilling, coal mining and farm income,” Simonson said. “A wide variety of influences boosted construction employment in other states, including weather that was more favorable this February than a year ago.”

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