Construction employment expanded in 26 states and the District of Columbia between February and March 2010, yet only Arkansas and North Dakota have more construction workers than they did a year ago according to a new analysis of federal employment figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America(AGC).   The new figures, while offering room for optimism, underscore how far the industry is from a recovery, association officials said.

"It's too early to tell whether these numbers reflect the start of a positive trend, or the impact of a warm March following a snowy February," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Even assuming the numbers are heading in the right direction, it is a long climb just to get back to normal for the construction industry......read more