Construction sheds 6,700 jobs

TAMPA — The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area lost 6,700 construction jobs in August 2012 over August 2011, according to a new report.

The losses, a 12% drop, from 53,800 to 47,100, were the second most on an annualized basis, behind only the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. region, which lost 7,200 construction jobs. The report was released by the Associated General Contractors of America, which analyzed federal employment data.

On a nationwide basis, construction employment fell in 164 out of 337 metropolitan areas between August 2011 and August 2012, the report shows. It increased in 130 and was stagnant in 43 markets. “The looming fiscal cliff is already contributing to construction employment declines in many parts of the country,” Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen Sandherr says in a release. “We are just not seeing the kind of private sector momentum that the industry experienced earlier this year.”

The other metro areas on the Gulf Coast didn't fare much better than Tampa. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers area reported a 4% drop in construction employment, from 15,700 jobs in August 2011 to 15,100 jobs in August 2012, the report states. The Naples-Marco Island region and the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton regions, meanwhile, both reported 1% decreases. Naples-Marco Island went from 8,700 jobs to 8,600, and North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton went from 14,800 to 14,600. Punta Gorda, at 2,500 jobs, remained the same both years.