South Florida construction industry sheds jobs

South Florida endured significant year-over-year drops in construction employment in August, even as the industry saw improvements in many markets nationwide, according to the latest report from the Associated General Contractors of America. In West Palm Beach, 4,400 construction jobs evaporated over the course of the year, down 16 percent since August 2009. Fort Lauderdale construction employment was down 11 percent, or 4,000 jobs, and Miami shed 5 percent of its construction workforce, or 1,700 jobs. [SFBJ]