HOUSTON—Construction workers in Houston had a really tough time last year. A report found they had the biggest job losses than any other city in the country. That’s a major shift from the construction boom of 2007 and 2008.
Many construction workers said they are glad to have a job after taking a pounding in 2009. One worker, Earsel Halcomb, was out of work for almost a year.
“It was rough. I’m a family man—father, kids and everything. It gets pretty rough. All the bills coming and a limited amount of money,” he said.
And he isn’t alone.
A new Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows in 2009, the Houston area lost more than 25,000 construction jobs. It was the highest in the country, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
“There is less demand in Houston for non-residential construction and that has to do with the fact that the business environment doesn’t look too good, said Adriana Kugler, U of H economist. “The recession is lasting longer than your typical recession.”
And a lot of construction workers in the city agree.
“I know from a lot of companies, they closed the doors because they don’t have any work to do. A lot of companies,” said Juan Rebera. “Yeah, that’s hard. It was a hard year, 2009, and I don’t know what it’s going to be like in 2010.”
Experts said it’s hard to predict what will happen for the construction business in the Houston area. They said the construction business is tied to the economy, and even when the economy recovers, jobs always lag behind.
They also said as long as Houston has empty store fronts and vacant office buildings, there will not be many calls for new construction.
“I hope we got better work for everyone,” said Rebera.
But around Houston’s construction sites, that hope may be a long time coming.
