PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked second-to-last in the country for losing 1,300 construction jobs, or 7.9 percent of the total, in August compared with August 2014, the Associated General Contractors of America said Friday.
Construction employment was 15,100 in Rhode Island in August compared with 16,400 a year earlier, the association said.
West Virginia ranked last on the list, which also included the District of Columbia, for losing 5,100 jobs, a 15.1 percent decline year over year. Arkansas ranked first, for gaining 6,200 jobs, a 13.6 percent increase. Massachusetts ranked the highest among the New England states, coming in at 21st for its construction job gain of 4,800, a 3.7 percent increase.
The association, citing U.S. Labor Department data, said construction employment expanded in 36 states and the District of Columbia between August 2014 and August 2015. Association officials said that job gains may be lagging because many firms are reporting having a difficult time finding qualified workers to employ. The association released a survey last week showing 86 percent of contractors reported trouble filling hourly or salaried professional positions.
“While half the states added construction jobs in August, construction spending data and industry reports suggest demand for projects remains very strong,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, said in a statement. “The apparent softness in hiring likely reflects contractors’ difficulty in finding qualified workers.”
Said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO, “While construction employment increased in more than two-thirds of the states over the past year, these gains may fade in the near future unless the industry can attract more people to try construction as a career.”