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Construction employment on Long Island saw a year-over-year increase in March, after nine months of declines, according to a new report from the Associated General Contractors of America. 

Nassau and Suffolk counties gained 1,400 construction jobs from March 2023 to March 2024, a 2 percent year-over-year increase, rising from 79,400 to 80,800, the AGCA reports. 

Regionally, the number of construction jobs in New York City was down 5 percent, losing 7,500 jobs from March 2023 to March 2024, falling from 141,900 to 134,400, which was the largest drop in construction jobs in the country’s 358 metro areas. 

Construction employment in the Orange/Rockland/Westchester area dropped by 2 percent, losing 1,100 jobs from March 2023 to March 2024, falling from 45,600 to 44,500, the AGCA reported. 

Association officials say the demand for a range of projects, from infrastructure to manufacturing and data centers, continues to grow in many parts of the country even as firms struggle to find enough workers. 

“While high interest rates and post-COVID work patterns are reducing demand for certain types of projects, the overall construction market remains strong and many firms are still expanding their payrolls,” Ken Simonson, the AGCA’s chief economist, said in a written statement. “But most firms are struggling to find enough workers as the number of qualified, available workers remains insufficient to satisfy the demand.” 

Metro areas adding the most construction jobs over the last year include the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. area, which added 6,200 jobs for a 6 percent gain; the Baton Rouge, La. Area, which gained 6,200 jobs for a 13 percent gain; and the Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas area adding 5,700 jobs for a 7 percent gain. 

Besides New York City, the metro areas seeing the largest drops in construction employment from March 2023 to March 2024 include the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. area, which lost 5,700 jobs for a 7 percent drop and the Denver area, losing 5,600 jobs for a 5 percent decrease. 

John Caravella Esq., is a construction attorney and formerly practicing project architect at The Law Office of John Caravella, P.C., representing architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and owners in all phases of contract preparation, litigation, and arbitration across New York and Florida. He also serves as an arbitrator to the American Arbitration Association Construction Industry Panel. Mr. Caravella can be reached by email: John@LIConstructionLaw.com or (631) 608-1346.

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David Winzelberg covers real estate, development, land use, retailing, franchising and white-collar crime for Long Island Business News.

An award-winning journalist who spent 20 years writing about Long Island for The New York Times, David’s work has also appeared in The Atlantic magazine, Forbes.com and has been featured on CNBC’s “American Greed.” A former adjunct professor of journalism and former editor of a weekly community newspaper, David is a frequent panelist and moderator at area business events.

He can reached via email at dwinzelberg@libn.com or at (631) 913-4247.

Follow him on Twitter @DavidWinzelberg.