Construction employment declined or was stagnant in one-third of metro areas between October 2015 and October 2016 amid diminishing public-sector investments in infrastructure and other civil works, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said a new infrastructure proposal being crafted by the incoming Trump administration could, if structured properly, help add more construction jobs in many metro areas.
“Too many construction firms that build vital infrastructure projects are finding less work to bid on today than just a few years ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noting that spending nationally on public construction dropped by 2.2 percent during the first nine months of 2016 from the same period in 2015. “There is little doubt that many more construction workers would be earning high wages in metro areas around the country if the public sector were investing more in aging infrastructure.”
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