Updated
Updated · Long Island Business News · Jul 30
Long Island Loses 1,300 Construction Jobs as June Hiring Slips 2%
Updated
Updated · Long Island Business News · Jul 30

Long Island Loses 1,300 Construction Jobs as June Hiring Slips 2%

2 articles · Updated · Long Island Business News · Jul 30

Summary

  • Nassau and Suffolk counties shed 1,300 construction jobs from June 2025 to June 2026, leaving Long Island with 81,800 positions after a brief May improvement ended.
  • AGCA tied the renewed decline to volatile materials prices, uncertainty over data center approvals and federal transportation funding, plus labor shortages linked to Temporary Protected Status losses.
  • New York City moved the other way, adding 1,300 construction jobs for a 1% annual gain to 140,100, underscoring Long Island's weaker local trend.
  • Nationwide, only 165 metro areas added construction jobs while 131 lost jobs and 64 were flat, prompting AGCA to press Congress for a new highway and transit bill before current law expires in September.

Insights

Why did Long Island lose 1,300 construction jobs while New York City gained the exact same amount in 2026?
Will the looming September 2026 expiration of federal transportation funding trigger a broader freeze in construction hiring nationwide?
How are community protests against new data centers unexpectedly crippling the local construction job market despite high demand?