By Catherine Reagor
The Arizona Republic
Reports tracking the homebuilding recovery have been coming in steadily each month. Now, data showing the corresponding increase in new construction spending, including salaries for new jobs, is out.
The increase in money spent on building and construction employment hit a three-year high, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
Nationally there was a net gain of 30,000 residential-construction jobs during 2012. Exact numbers for metro Phoenix are still being compiled, but based on the money spent on housing construction, the region is likely to have added several thousand jobs.
In metro Phoenix, money spent on residential building climbed 79 percent in 2012.
