Georgia jobless rate still high in construction
High construction joblessness
The five states with the highest unemployment rates, for construction workers, from lowest to highest:
New Mexico
Rhode Island
Georgia and West Virginia (tie)
Mississippi
Source: Associated Builders and Contractors
Georgia is tied for the second-highest unemployment rate for construction workers, according to a report from an industry trade association.
And that’s actually a slight improvement, since Georgia had the second highest rate in May based on revised data.
The jobless rate in the sector in June was 9.4 percent, according to Associated Builders and Contractors, a group with 21,000 members nationwide. Only Mississippi’s jobless rate – 9.9 percent – was higher in June.
The sector’s rate was much higher than the statewide jobless rate of 6.1 percent in June.
Construction was pounded during the housing crisis as nearly all building was halted – both residential and commercial. Only in the last couple years has there been a rebound. In the interim, many workers have found other occupations, but those who remain have many more options – from the two new sports stadiums to apartment and condo complexes.
The construction of single family homes has also picked up.
Still, there’s been substantial improvement: A year ago, the unemployment rate for construction in Georgia was 10.5 percent, the group said.
However, the news for the sector has been getting better, the ABC reported: the estimated construction unemployment rate fell below 10 percent for all 50 states, the first time that has happened since October.
The five states with the highest construction unemployment rates, from lowest to highest, were New Mexico, Rhode Island, Georgia and West Virginia (in a tie) and Mississippi.
