Spring bounce continues for LI construction employment

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Construction employment on Long Island saw a year-over-year increase for the second month in a row in April, rebounding after nine months of declines, according to a new report from the Associated General Contractors of America. 

Nassau and Suffolk counties gained 1,800 construction jobs from April 2023 to April 2024, a 2 percent year-over-year increase, rising from 82,300 to 84,100, the AGCA reports. 

Regionally, the number of construction jobs in New York City was down 4 percent, losing 5,400 jobs from April 2023 to April 2024, falling from 141,800 to 136,400, which was the second largest drop in construction jobs in the country’s 358 metro areas for that period. 

Construction employment in the Orange/Rockland/Westchester area dropped by 1 percent, losing 500 jobs from April 2023 to April 2024, falling from 45,800 to 45,300, the AGCA reported. 

Association officials noted that construction employment is growing in fewer metro areas than earlier this year, but said demand remains strong enough in much of the country that many contractors continue to struggle to find enough workers.  

“Job gains were less widespread in the latest 12 months than earlier in 2024 as homebuilders and developers throttled back,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in an AGCA statement. “However, with demand surging for data centers, manufacturing and power projects, and infrastructure, there are still more than twice as many areas with job gains as the number of metros that had a decrease in construction employment.” 

Metro areas adding the most construction jobs over the last year include the Baton Rouge, La. area, which gained 7,600 jobs for a 16 percent gain; the Las Vegas area, gaining 6,500 jobs for an 8 percent rise; and the Atlanta area adding 5,700 jobs for a 4 percent gain. 

Besides New York City, the metro areas seeing the largest drops in construction employment from April 2023 to April 2024 include the Denver area, losing 5,700 jobs for a 5 percent decrease; and the Chicago area, which lost 3,900 jobs for a 3 percent drop.