On the same day that Virginia got good news about the formation of a public/private partnership for a major construction project in Hampton Roads — the building of a second Midtown tunnel — a construction trade group reported a decline in construction employment in many metro areas around the country.
Construction employment declined in 146 of 337 metropolitan areas between October 2010 and October 2011, increased in 140 and stayed level in 51, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released Monday by the Arlington-based Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said many communities continue to lose construction jobs as a federal program to invest in highway, transit and other infrastructure construction remains stalled in Congress. “Declining federal investments in infrastructure projects, including highway and transit work, are making matters worse for construction employment in many communities,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement.
The largest job losses were in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga., down 7,700 jobs, or about 8 percent. “Investing in infrastructure won’t solve every problem facing the construction industry but it will create construction jobs while giving a needed boost to all types of businesses,” said the association’s CEO Stephen E. Sandherr.
Virginia lost about 800 construction jobs over the past year. Construction on the Midtown Tunnel project is expected to start next year, pending a financial close on the deal, and will create hundreds of new construction jobs.
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