(News from the Associated General Contractors of America.)

Construction employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased from June 2010 to June 2011 in 149 metro areas (including divisions of large metros), decreased in 141 and remained unchanged in 47, the Associated General Contractors reported today in an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.

The largest percentage gains were in the Lake County, Illinois-Kenosha County, Wisconsin metro division (+20%, 2,600 construction jobs), followed by:

• Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont (+18%, 900 combined jobs)
• Casper, Wyoming (+15%, 400 construction jobs)
• Charleston, West Virginia (+15%, 2,200 combined jobs)
• Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Illinois (+15%, 1,300 combined jobs)

The largest number of jobs was added in the Dallas-Plano-Irving division (5,600 combined jobs, +5%), followed by:

• Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (5,500 construction jobs, +4%)
• Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Michigan (4,300 combined jobs, +12%)

The largest percentage losses were in Redding, California (-17%, 500 combined jobs); followed by:

• Bend, Oregon (-15%, 500 combined jobs)
• Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada (-15%, 7,000 combined jobs)

The largest number of job losses was in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta (7,100 construction jobs, -8%); followed by: