The number of construction jobs in North Carolina declined 2.8 percent over the past year, according to the News and Observer based on data released from the Associated General Contractors of America. Between October 2010 and last month, the state lost 4,900 jobs, with total construction employment dropping from 175,000 to 170,600. The AGC calculates the numbers by analyzing data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor. That percentage decline ranked North Carolina 39th among the country’s 50 states.
The construction industry has been mired in one of its worst downturns on record. The credit crunch combined with the bursting of the residential housing bubble has led to a severe decline in ommercial and residential real estate construction.
Construction employment rose in half the states over the past year, according to the AGC. The top performing states were North Dakota and Oklahoma, places that have benefited from construction related to the energy industry. Construction employment declined the most in Georgia, dropping 9.5 percent, or 13,800 jobs.