Fresh News: Construction Job Cuts Increase

Published on 2008-08-20

The continuing U.S. housing slump, which has been called the most severe since the 1930s, has proven to be a severe hindrance to the creation of new construction jobs. In June 2008, Northern Virginia saw the loss of 5,100 jobs in construction, accounting for 5.7% of all payrolls. This is especially grim news considering that, from a nationwide perspective, the Virginia job market has fared better than average. The story was similar in the state of Washington; in July 2008, the number of downsized residential construction careers remained at 6,100 jobs, a figure which has held steady for the past year. Nonresidential construction work in the state did see a modest gain of about 300 jobs. However, this gain was offset by a loss of 400 heavy construction and civil engineering jobs. And the situation wasn't much different in Utah, where about 12,800 construction trade jobs have been cut, pushing the state's unemployment rate in July 2008 up almost one percent from where it was in 2007.

Nationwide, about 22,000 construction job positions were cut in July 2008, bringing the total number of cuts to 457,000 for the year. Residential construction has been deflating steadily for the past 18 months, and now the commercial construction sector is feeling the hit, with about 10,800 jobs cut in July. These figures only emphasize what the industry already knows: if you worked a construction job, chances are you don't have it anymore.

However, the construction industry has seen some growth in the area of green building, i.e. using efficient, renewable materials to reduce the environmental toll of new construction. In 2007, 14 states adopted green-building policies, and at least eight states have followed suit this year. Nationwide, there may be as many as 5,000 building projects that are seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at one of the four levels. And a recent study by the New York Times Consumer Insight Group revealed that green building in the residential market is riding the wave of enthusiasm stirred by the LEED movement. Those green-building features which translate into immediate money savings - energy-efficient heating, air conditioning, windows, and water systems - were important to more than half of all 700 respondents, the study found.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), more than 1,000 members of the home building industry have sought the Certified Green Professional designation awarded by the NAHB since the designation was created earlier this year. This trend has forced increased compliance issues on construction superintendent jobs, however. To meet LEED guidelines, supervisory employees must focus on issues such as reduced site disturbance, stormwater management, alternative transportation, and curbing the heat island effect on site to earn credits.

As the country awaits the November presidential election, we can only speculate as to which candidate's claims could spur the flagging job market. Both candidates have announced their intentions to advance clean technologies as a way to provide sustainable energy and create job opportunities. Senator McCain is a proponent of nuclear power, writing on his website that "nuclear power is a proven, zero-emission source of energy, and it is time we recommit to advancing our use of nuclear power." Meanwhile, Senator Obama has said that if elected he would focus on creating five million "green-collar jobs" by "strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future," according to his website. While both plans could create some building, heavy construction, specialty trade, and construction management jobs domestically, it is unclear how either strategy would impact the construction industry long term.

Now you can find work opportunities on the free employment website Fresho.com. Fresho.com finds construction jobs across the country, from Las Vegas construction jobs to Orlando construction jobs, and lists them on the site so that job seekers can search for positions in their areas. Stay tuned for new industry developments and jobs on Fresho.com.