Monday, November 4, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Boom Over: Honolulu Construction Jobs Down 4%
By News Release @ 2:03 PM :: 6112 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Labor, Rail

CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT INCREASES IN 224 OUT OF 358 METRO AREAS BETWEEN MARCH 2016 AND 2017 AS NEW TAX PROPOSAL MAY BOOST FUTURE GROWTH

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. and Lewiston, Idaho-Wash. Have Largest Year-over-Year Gains; Pittsburgh, Pa. and Danville, Ill. Experience Biggest Declines During the Past Year

News Release from Associated General Contractors of America, May 2, 2017

Construction employment increased in 224 out of 358 metro areas between March 2016 and March 2017, declined in 92 and stagnated in 42, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that a recent proposal by the Trump administration to reform the tax code for businesses, including pass-through entities, should help boost demand for new construction and make it easier for firms to expand payrolls in the future

"Reforming the tax code should help boost demand for construction by freeing up significant amounts of private sector capital to finance new projects," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "Moreover, reducing the tax burden on construction employers will make it easier for them to add new staff to keep up with growing demand for their services."

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (12,200 jobs, 14 percent) added the most construction jobs during the past year, followed by Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (9,400 jobs, 8 percent); Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (8,600 jobs, 13 percent); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. (6,300 jobs, 11 percent) and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (6,000 jobs, 5 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Lewiston, Idaho-Wash. metro area (25 percent, 300 jobs); Lake Charles, La. (21 percent, 4,000 jobs); Redding, Calif. (19 percent, 500 jobs); Gary, Ind. (17 percent and 2,400 jobs) and Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif. (17 percent, 700 jobs).

The largest job losses from March 2016 to March 2017 were in Pittsburgh, Pa. (-2,900 jobs, -6 percent), followed by Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. (-2,300 jobs, -4 percent); Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (-2,100 jobs, -6 percent) and Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Miss. (-1,800 jobs, -19 percent). The largest percentage decreases for the year were in Danville, Ill. (-20 percent, -100 jobs); Casper, Wyo. (-19 percent, -600 jobs); Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Miss. and Charleston, W.V. (-17 percent, -1,300 jobs).

(Construction employment in Urban Honolulu dropped 4% from 28,400 in March, 2016 to 27,200 in March, 2017 for a net loss of 1,200 jobs.  Honolulu ranks 303rd of 358 metro areas.)

Association officials said the Trump administration's new proposed tax reform principles that were released last week could help boost demand for construction and employment in the sector. The association has long called for reforms not just to the corporate tax rate, but also to the rate pass-through entities, including the majority of construction firms, pay. The Trump administration's proposal to cut the rate all businesses pay will help free up private-sector capital for new construction projects, and provide firms with additional resources they need to expand payrolls, the officials added.

"While there are a lot of questions that need to be answered, the President has initiated what should be a robust and productive debate about the best way to reform our dated tax code," Sandherr said. "As an industry that pays among the highest effective tax rates in the country, the construction sector welcomes any effort to make taxes on employers more equitable and more reasonable."

View the metro employment data by rank and state. View metro employment map.

###

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii