AGC's Data DIGest: May 26-30, 2014
More metros add jobs in April; construction costs stay mild in first quarter, Means says
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From April 2013 to April 2014 construction employment increased in 220 out of 339 metropolitan areas for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports construction data, declined in 70 and was unchanged in 49, according to an analysis that AGC released last Tuesday. (The agency combines mining and logging with construction in most metros to avoid disclosing data for industries with few firms. Because metro data is not seasonally adjusted, comparisons with months other than April are not meaningful.) Three divisions of larger metros added the most jobs over the year: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale (11,100 construction jobs, 10%), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving (9,500 combined jobs, 9%) and Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif. (8,500 construction jobs, 11%). [node:read-more:link]