PGH among leading metros for construction job growth (Pittsburgh, Etna: rent, hotels)

[BrianTH]

Of course in some parts of the country, the construction industry is in tatters, making this an easier comparison. Still, this is interesting:

https://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/pr...release.id=710

Phoenix, Ariz. added more construction jobs (3,100 jobs, 4 percent) than any of the 70 metro areas to add jobs during the past year. Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. added the highest percentage (33 percent, 300 jobs). Other areas adding jobs included Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. (2,200 jobs, 3 percent); Pittsburgh, Pa. (2,100 jobs, 4 percent); Greeley, Colo. (1,400 jobs, 16 percent); and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas (900, 5 percent).

A full ranking is available here:

http://www.agc.org/galleries/news/Me...20-%20Rank.pdf

The 4% is pretty good, and the 2100 gain was good for third overall (after Phoenix and Nassau-Suffolk).

I'm not sure of all the causes, but it would be quite interesting if Pittsburgh was experiencing a little construction boom (if so, hopefully it doesn't get out of control).

[OnThaGrind]

There might be some big projects coming up, maybe downtown? When I was talking to employees @ the casino, they said they are going to be building a hotel on the property, so that will be coming up in the next two or three years as well. I'm glad there's growth, that's a positive thing!

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by OnThaGrind

There might be some big projects coming up, maybe downtown? When I was talking to employees @ the casino, they said they are going to be building a hotel on the property, so that will be coming up in the next two or three years as well. I'm glad there's growth, that's a positive thing!

Interestingly, there were a lot of possible projects in the works that got stalled when the recession hit--hopefully some of them come back online.

But there have also been a lot of new projects announced, some involving more hotels and residential units Downtown, some involving Marcellus stuff farther out, and so on.

Just looking at the market numbers (in terms of vacancies, rent trends, and so on), I would personally expect to see more building of residential and office units in the core area over the next few years. But we shall see.

[gg]

I wonder how many people have been hired for the route 28 project? Maybe that helped the numbers. Sure is a huge project.

[Goodjules]

Cool! I work in the construction industry and I was wondering what the job market was like. However, I'm on the home remodeling side of the industry so I doubt if large commercial and/or large residential projects would have much of an effect on my niche. I'm hoping to move back there in a few years and I like to keep up with what's going on as I will need a job there at some point.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I wonder how many people have been hired for the route 28 project? Maybe that helped the numbers. Sure is a huge project.

That is a huge project. They are essentially building a new highway on that stretch, as was sorely needed. It will be worth the four year wait and will look much more attractive too with all of those shanties that they took out. It already looks much nicer with the new exits around Etna and Sharpsburg that were recently completed.

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

That is a huge project. They are essentially building a new highway on that stretch, as was sorely needed. It will be worth the four year wait and will look much more attractive too with all of those shanties that they took out. It already looks much nicer with the new exits around Etna and Sharpsburg that were recently completed.

Yeah, I was driving by where they took the old buildings out - did you see the tunnel -like caves in the hillside? That's where the old meatpacking houses used to store their meat back in the day before refrigeration was available.