Avoid Pascagoula, Tucson and Redding

Marcia Doyle Headshot

If you want to work in construction, here’s a list of cities to avoid. According to an analysis by Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, these cities have seen the largest decline in construction jobs from April 2008 to this April:

Pascagoula, Mississippi, 38.8 percent

Redding, California, 31.6 percent

Tucson, 29.2 percent

Reno-Sparks, Nevada, 29.1 percent

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida, 23.6 percent

The good news: in 19 metro areas, construction employment actually grew, including a 8 percent gain in Odessa, Texas and 7.3 percent gain in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.