Construction employment dropped 10.3 percent in metropolitan Kansas City to 46,000 workers during the past year, shedding 5,300 jobs, according to a new study using federal statistics.
On a national basis, the Phoenix metro area led the nation in the number of lost construction jobs, 35,100, down 26 percent, the Associated General Contractors of America reported today. On a percentage basis, the biggest loss was reported in Reno, Nev., down 35 percent.
Across the nation, there were 38 communities that saw construction employment declines of 20 percent or more during the past 12 months, the contractors association reported.
Kansas City lost fewer jobs on a percentage basis than metro St. Louis, which was down 11 percent to 72,300; but did less well than other regional metros.
Oklahoma City was down 3 percent to 27,200; Wichita, down 6 percent to 16,000; Omaha, down 5 percent to 25,500, and Des Moines, down 9 percent to 15,700. Tulsa actually grew its construction employment by 3 percent to 23,900.
The study by the association covered the period between September 2008 and 2009. It was based on numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that combine jobs in the construction, mining and logging industries.
Officials at the contractors group used the report to call upon Congress to act on the association’s economic recovery proposals which include extending the first-time home buyers tax credit and other tax-related incentives.
The drop in local construction jobs was reflected in a study released last week by McGraw-Hill Construction that reported overall construction activity in the Kansas City metro had dropped 35 percent to $1.2 billion through the first three quarters of the year compared to the same period last year.
Working pretty good for us in the auto industry I'd say. The bailouts for GM and Chrysler never would have come from the Republicans.