Atlanta Construction Jobs Continue to Decline
A sign of the failing economy, workers are having a hard time finding Atlanta construction jobs.
During September 2008, Atlanta’s construction industry employed 128,100 workers, down from 132,000 during August and a decrease of 8 percent from last year, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many other industries in the city also lost jobs.
The city had a total non-farm employment of 2,433,200 during September, down from 2,450,500 in August and a decrease of 1.4 percent from last year.
Other industries that saw an over-the-year loss of workers include:
- natural resources and mining by 4 percent
- manufacturing by 4.7 percent
- trade, transportation and utilities by .9 percent
- financial activities by 2.3 percent
- professional and business services by 2.1 percent
- government by 1.6 percent
The only industries to see an over-the-year gain in workers during September were information by .3 percent, education and health services by 2.9 percent and other services by .8 percent. The leisure and hospitality industry employed 236,300 during September, the same as last year.
Job losses in Georgia as a whole were among the country’s highest, according to an article by Forbes. The state’s job losses were second only to Michigan.
“The numbers marked a slight improvement from August, when Georgia saw 26,200 lose jobs,” the article notes. “By comparison, state employment increased by 5,500 over September 2007, among the nation’s biggest spikes.
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent in September, the highest rate in 16 years.
“Experts call the housing crisis an obvious culprit,” the article adds. “Less demand for new single-family homes means fewer construction jobs and trickles down to industries like carpeting, once big business in areas like north Georgia.”
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