More metros add jobs; data centers, solar plants, apartments grow; retail shrink

AGC’s analysis of construction employment in 337 metro areas for which BLS provides data showed gains in 141 (42 percent), losses in 147 (44 percent) and no change in 49—the most widespread gains since late 2007. The largest 12-month percentage gains were in Battle Creek, Michigan, 17 percent(300 combined jobs); Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, 21percent(500 combined jobs); Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, Louisiana, 20percent (1,000 construction jobs); Bangor, Maine, 18percent (300 construction jobs); and Columbus, Indiana, 18percent (200 combined jobs). The largest numbers of jobs were added in the Dallas-Plano-Irving metro division, 7,500 combined jobs (8percent); Northern Virginia, 5,400 combined jobs (9percent); Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich., division, 3,300 combined jobs (12percent); Philadelphia city division, 3,200 combined jobs (6percent); and Richmond, VA, 2,700 combined jobs (9percent). The largest percentage losses were in Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-West Virginia, -32percent (-600 combined jobs); Prescott, Arizona, -16percent (-700 combined jobs); and Yuma, Ariz., -15percent (-400 combined jobs). The largest numbers of job losses were in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, -9,400 construction jobs (-10percent); New York City, -9,000 combined jobs (-8percent); and Las Vegas-Paradise, -5,500 construction jobs (-12percent).

GE announced on Thursday [April 7], “GE plans to build an advanced-technology thin-film solar panel factory in the United States that, at capacity, will produce enough panels per year to power 80,000 homes annually. The 400-megawatt facility will be larger than any U.S. solar panel manufacturing plant in operation today and will employ 400 people. Multiple locations are being considered for the new facility, with the final location to be announced shortly,” according to an April 11 Data DIGest report.

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