By Kristena Hansen
Phoenix Business Journal
Although Arizona’s recession-battered construction industry has come a long way in the past year, the local workforce is still struggling to retain skilled workers, according to a recent report by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Arizona saw the fifth largest month-over-month drop in construction employment in September with the loss of 2,000 jobs, or a decline of 1.7 percent, the report said. Almost two-thirds of the nation, on the other hand, experienced job gains during the same time frame, the report said. That report is based off of the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The drop brought Arizona’s total construction workforce to 117,600 workers in September. The local industry also shrank in August by 600 jobs from the previous month.
However, the local construction employment figures were up 3 percent, or 3,300 jobs, from September of 2011.
Also: New-home permits for Peoria begin to increase/The Arizona Republic
New-home sales show an increase in the Southwest Valley/ The Arizona Republic
