December 30, 2013
By Neal Tepel
New York, NY – The number of New York City residents employed in the construction industry rose 3.0 percent from the 179,814 residents who were employed by the industry in 2011. "We are encouraged to see a three percent increase in the number of New York City residents actively employed in the construction industry," said New York Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson.
"However, it is worth noting that, even after this 2012 increase, the industry in 2012 employed nearly 28,000 less workers than it did in 2007. Our hope and expectation is that most, if not all, of these lost jobs will be recaptured as part of a rising construction market between 2013 and 2015."
The median earnings for New York City construction workers rose 2.4 percent– going from $31,416 in 2011 to $32,155 in 2012, after adjusting for inflation. By comparison, the median earnings for all New Yorkers dropped by one percent, to $36,811, in 2012.
The construction trades and other occupations directly involved in construction operations accounted for 82 percent of the industry workforce. The rest of the workforce consisted of white-collar jobs, such as management and sales, as well as service occupations, such as security officers and maintenance workers.
Additional 2012 demographic highlights include:
Approximately 76 percent of construction industry workers are employed by private companies. Another 18 percent are self-employed. The remaining 6 percent are employed by government and not-for-profit organizations.
Construction remains a male-dominated industry – with men making up 92 percent of the workforce. However, the median earnings for industry women were nearly $10,000 greater than their male counterparts ($41,012 for women compared to $31,796 for men).
