Austin Construction Jobs See Biggest Yearly Drop

As most industries added jobs during June, Austin construction jobs (Click here) continued to decline over the year.

During June, the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area's unemployment rate increased from 6.9 percent to 7.4 percent after falling from 7 percent during May. However, the area's rate was still lower than the national average at the time of 9.5 percent.

The Austin area had a total non-farm employment of 771,300 workers during June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is up from 768,600 workers during May and a 1.3 percent increase from last year.

All industries but three added jobs on a monthly basis during June, including:

• Leisure and hospitality by 1,900 jobs
• Professional and business services by 1,600 jobs
• Mining, logging and construction by 700 jobs
• Manufacturing by 400 jobs
• Other services by 400 jobs
• Financial activities by 300 jobs
• Information by 100 jobs

The government industry lost 2,000 jobs between May and June, while the education and health services industry lost 600 workers and the trade, transportation and utilities industry lost 100 jobs.

On a yearly basis, six industries saw an increase in employment, including:

• Leisure and hospitality by 10.8 percent
• Education and health services by 2.9 percent
• Other services by 2.1 percent
• Government by 1 percent
• Financial activities by .9 percent
• Professional and business services by .1 percent

Although the mining, logging and construction industry added 700 jobs over the month, the industry saw the biggest yearly decrease in employment, losing 4.1 percent of its workforce between June 2009 and June 2010.

Three other industries saw a yearly decrease in employment, including: information by 3.1 percent; manufacturing by 2.9 percent; and trade, transportation and utilities by .5 percent.