Data shows Phoenix construction industry rebounds

data shows Phoenix construction industry rebounds (Alberta Times) According to the American Association of General Building Contractors, the employment rate of construction workers in the Phoenix metropolitan area is at 200...

(Alberta Times)

According to the National Association of General Building Contractors, the employment rate of construction workers in the Phoenix metropolitan area has been declining since reaching its peak between 2005 and 2006. From 175,500 employees in 2006 to 81,900 at the end of 2011, the growth rate was negative 53%, ranking 307th among 337 metropolitan cities in the United States. The general contractor's report also shows that 70% of construction workers in the Lake Havasu area of ​​the state have lost their jobs in recent years, which is the highest unemployment rate in this industry in the United States. The Lake Havasu and Kingman area had 7,600 construction jobs in December 2005. By the end of last year, the number had dropped to 2,300, meaning 70% were unemployed. Kenn Simonson, chief economist of the National Association of General Contractors, said the housing bust was largely responsible. But construction sites in Phoenix have been busy in recent months. Simonson said that the construction industry, which used to be mainly residential, has quietly turned to retail stores, clean energy and medical buildings. Over the past year, the industry has added 1,900 jobs. "Phoenix's construction employment recovery over the past 12 months has been better than many regions across the country," Simonson said. "This demonstrates the potential strength of the Phoenix metropolitan area beyond just retirement, vacation or business travelers, emerging as an employment center." " Many believe that even if the state's construction industry is on the road to recovery, it will likely never return to the peak levels of 2005-2006.