The Syracuse area added 100 construction jobs between July 2009 and July 2010, making it one of 61 metropolitan areas nationwide that added construction jobs during that period.

The Utica Rome area lost 400 construction jobs while the Binghamton area lost 100 construction jobs during the same 12 month stretch. That's according to new data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed and reported by the Associated General Contractors of America, a construction industry trade group.

The AGC also analyzed US Census Bureau data indicating total construction spending declined to 10 year low in July of USD 805 billion, as investments in construction projects dropped 1% from the June total.

Association officials noted in a news release that the new figures show depressed private sector activity.

Mr Ken Simonson chief economist of AGC said that "While the stimulus is funding some vital infrastructure projects, the private sector is too cautious and state and local governments are too cash strapped, to help. As a result, overall construction spending is at its lowest level in a decade and hundreds of thousands of construction workers are unemployed."

(Sourced from www.cnybj.com)