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MILWAUKEE -
Construction employment improved by 1.6 percent in Wisconsin
between December and January, according to an analysis released
Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor
Department data.
Wisconsin
gained 1,600 jobs and ranks 18th in the country, with 98,900
jobs. From January 2013 to January 2014, Wisconsin has gained
2,700 jobs - a 2.8 percent increase - and ranks 27th in the
country, according to the AGC of America.
All told,
construction firms added jobs in 38 states from January 2013 to
January 2014, while 27 states had employment gains from December
2013 to January 2014, the AGC of America said.
Association
officials said the fact so many states added construction jobs
for the year and month despite harsh winter conditions in many
parts of the country is a sign that demand appears to be
recovering.
“Especially considering the fact many parts of the country
experienced very harsh weather in January, these construction
jobs figures are particularly robust,” said Ken Simonson, the
association’s chief economist, in a statement. “Yet some of
these gains will be at risk if federal transportation funding
comes to halt this summer as predicted.”
Kansas led
all states, with a 10.7 percent increase (5,900 jobs) in
construction employment between January 2013 and January 2014.
For the
period, nine states and the District of Columbia lost jobs.
Idaho had
the highest percentage of new construction jobs between December
2013 and January 2014, at 5.8 percent (1,900 jobs). Twenty-one
states and the District of Columbia lost jobs in that time.
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