Connecticut shed 7,200 construction jobs in 2009, paced by Greater Hartford’s soft building market, according to a contractor industry analysis of federal data.
The state’s 12 percent decline was just part of last year’s overall bleak picture for the U.S. construction industry, the Associated General Contractors of America report showed.
The organization found that only four out of 337 U.S. cities added construction jobs in 2009, as the spending fell to its lowest in six years, AGCA said.
Leominster-Fitchburg, Mass., lost a larger percentage of its construction work force (38 percent) during 2009 than any other metropolitan area according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, AGCA said.
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford lost 2,000 jobs, falling to 16,400 in December from 18,400 in December 2008, AGCA said.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk lost 1,100 workers, dropping to 13,100. Norwich-New London lost 600 jobs, to 3,300. New Haven was down 200, to 10,400. Waterbury shed 100, to 2,500.
Other areas experiencing sharp declines in construction employment during the year include El Centro, Calif. (36 percent); and Santa Fe, N.M.; Pocatello, Idaho; and Kokomo, Ind. (all 29 percent). Meanwhile, the Houston, Texas area lost the most construction jobs (25,500) between December 2008 and 2009.
Of the four metropolitan areas with an increase in construction employment during the past 12 months, only two areas had gains of more than 100 jobs: Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. (1,500 jobs, 13 percent gain) and Tulsa, Okla. (700 jobs, 3 percent gain). Two metro areas had gains of 100 jobs each in construction: Springfield, Ohio (8 percent) and Columbus, Ind. (5 percent).
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