New York Jobs in Construction Building Up

The construction industry plays an important role in many major cities, and especially accounts for many New York jobs.

Employment in New York City's construction industry is expected to expand considerably through 2011, according to an article by the Fiscal Policy Institute for the NYC Employment and Training Coalition and NYC Workforce Investment Board. The expansion is expected as there are several large commercial construction projects under development.

"The construction industry and construction workers literally build New York, creating the workplaces, houses, apartments, schools, hospitals, public spaces, transportation arteries, bridges and water tunnels essential to our city's existence and smooth functioning," the article states.

"Construction work is often physically demanding and dangerous, but it offers some of the highest wages available for workers with limited formal education," the article adds. "An extensive apprenticeship system provides many of the industry's workers with the craft skills required for the city's demanding construction projects, skills that can provide secure career ladders and demonstrable wage gains."

There should be thousands of openings in the industry through 2011 as about 30,000 construction workers are getting ready to retire. As of 2006, residential construction had grown in the city for four years, the biggest increase since the 1970s, and commercial construction had remained below its 2001 level.

The construction industry currently employs about 250,000 workers, with 175,000 of those being city residents. The leading construction jobs include laborers, carpenters, painters, electricians and plumbers. Construction workers earn a median hourly wage of $14.90, slightly higher than the overall median wage for the city.

New York City is home to 10,000 construction companies and more than 30,000 self-employed construction workers. Construction work in the city is usually project-based, with workers and companies migrating from one job to the next.

"Most construction companies are trade-specific contractors or employers, such as electrical, plumbing, masonry, or roofing," the article adds. "General contractors serve as organizing agents, working with engineers and architects and coordinating the entire array of trade contractors. Most residential contractors are very small businesses, averaging four to 10 employees, while most non-residential contractors are only slightly larger, averaging 15 to 25 employees."