The construction industry lost another 53,000 jobs in December, according to new federal figures released Friday. With an unemployment rate of 22.7 percent, construction is dragging down the broader employment picture, AGC said, and it is no time to single out the industry for higher health care costs and penalties.

Read AGC's press release here.

For more information, contact Brian Turmail at (703) 837-5310 or turmailb@agc.org.

Construction employment declined in 324 out of 337 metropolitan areas over the past year as spending on construction projects dropped by over $137 billion in November to a 6-year low of $900 billion, according to AGC's analysis of federal figures released Monday.

Read the press release here. The news was covered by Tulsa World, the Denver Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer, among others.

For more information, contact Brian Turmail at (703) 837-5310 or turmailb@agc.org.