Dive Brief:
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Congress’s indecision over federal highway funding is costing contractors their jobs, according to the Associated General Contractors of America, which reported that 127 metro areas lost construction jobs between June 2014 and June 2015.
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“It is hard for construction firms to invest in new employees if they don't know what business conditions will be like for the rest of the year,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. "Many transportation construction firms will be reluctant to expand their headcount until Washington puts in place a long-term highway and transit funding measure.”
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The largest job losses over the year were in New Orleans; Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS; Akron, OH; Bakersfield, CA; and Bergen, NJ.
Dive Insight:
The construction employment picture isn’t entirely bleak. In 180 metros, contractors have expanded their payrolls over the past year. Seattle and El Centro, CA, gained the most jobs during that time.
Still, the AGC has asked motorists to pressure Congress to pass a long-term highway bill that will more permanently fund road and bridge construction and repairs. The House passed another short-term extension Wednesday — which will likely be approved by the Senate today — to put off the debate of a longer-term solution until September.