Construction Reporter
  • Home
  • Services
    • Planroom
    • Printing
    • Project Upload
    • Architects & Owners
    • General Contractors
    • Subcontractors
  • Free Trial
  • Become a Member
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • About
    • About
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Policy

construction industry covid-19 job loss hits majority of metro areas, says new survey

6/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
In the wake of reports showing scattered construction industry job losses as a result of the COVID-10 outbreak and subsequent economic shutdown, a new national survey is providing a more comprehensive view of those losses.

The survey, published by the Associated General Contractors of America, shows that construction employment fell in nine out of ten metropolitan areas during the month of the initial shutdown.

The survey also shows, says Ken Simonson, “How few areas were left unscathed by April’s unprecedented job losses.”

Simonson, the chief economist for the AGC, continued in a statement: “Sadly, our latest survey shows project cancellations are escalating, making further job losses inevitable unless there is funding for widespread new projects.”

Overall, construction job losses from March to April were recorded in 326 out of 358 areas surveyed.

The greatest number of job losses were seen in the city that has had the largest number of COVID-19 cases: New York, which shed nearly 76,000 jobs as of April.

Other major losses were recorded on the other side of the country in the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett area of Washington state, with around 44,200 people in the construction industry there laid off.

The next largest metro area job losses were seen in parts of both Michigan and Pennsylvania, with between 26,100 and 27,200 workers respectively no longer on the payrolls.

Looking at the numbers nationally, 60 percent of construction firms surveyed said that either a current project was halted in April or cancelled altogether.

Some 66 percent of respondents reported that projects were canceled due to a combination of complying with “non-essential” government stoppage orders or a project owner’s concerns about COVID-19 dangers.

Even for companies still working, problems associated with the virus outbreak and economic shutdown were seen in the 22 percent of respondents who said they had experienced a shortage of personal protective equipment, as well as the 28 percent reporting a shortage of basic construction materials, equipment, and parts.

On the upside of the equation, while 80 percent of respondents said they had so far not taken on any new projects as a result of the pandemic, 14 percent reported that their companies this spring were involved with medical facility construction in either April or May.

Perhaps indicating a flattening of the curve, 24 percent of construction firms said they had added employees in May, up from 14 percent in April, and 5 percent in March.
​
In a separate question, while 43 percent of the companies nationally said they had experienced no changes in their headcount since the covid-19 outbreak, 22 percent reported hiring new workers during the same time period.

​By Garry Boulard

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get stories like these right to your inbox.
    ​Sign up for our newsletter

    Subscribe

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017

    Categories

    All

AFFILIATES

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
HOME
PLANS & PRICING
FREE TRIAL
MAGAZINE​
BECOME A MEMBER
PRINTING SERVICES
FAQS
CONTACT
​ABOUT

TIMELY, RELIABLE NEWS SINCE 1949 ​Construction Reporter
​
4901 Mcleod Rd NE STE 200A
Albuquerque NM 87109


​Phone: (505)-243-9793
Toll Free: (877)-292-5793
​Fax: (505)-242-4758

Copyright © 2022 Construction Reporter
User Agreement   Privacy Policy   Archive Policy
  • Home
  • Services
    • Planroom
    • Printing
    • Project Upload
    • Architects & Owners
    • General Contractors
    • Subcontractors
  • Free Trial
  • Become a Member
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • About
    • About
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Policy