Construction employment in Nassau and Suffolk counties decreased in November, the ninth straight month of job declines, according to a monthly report from the Associated General Contractors of America.
The report, which measured construction employment from November 2024 to November 2025, showed a 7% decrease in the workforce over the 12-month span.
The two Long Island counties lost a combined 5,600 construction jobs over the 12-month period, falling from 82,100 to 76,500, according to the report.
Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said that despite a majority of contractors expecting to add workers in 2026, there are likely to be fewer markets than a year ago, with expanding opportunities.
“Construction hiring has slowed in many parts of the country as owners have put projects on hold,” he said.
Long Island’s construction employment decline was the fifth-largest drop of the 360 metro areas represented in the report.
The trend on Long Island was the opposite of what was found nationwide, as 188 metro areas, or 53% of the areas observed, added construction employees, according to the report.
Nearby New York City also saw a 6% decline in construction jobs, losing 8,600 jobs from Nov. 2024 to Nov. 2025, bringing the total to 134,000. New York City’s job loss was the largest in the country for that period, according to the report.
Officials for the Associated General Contractors of America said that its 2026 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey, conducted with Sage, found 63% of contractors expect to expand their headcount in 2026, which is 6% lower than the number expected in 2025. Some 15% expect to reduce their headcount, up from 10% in 2025.
Officials said the association is pushing Congress to pass a new highway and transit bill, address workforce shortages and streamline federal reviews and the permitting process to help the construction industry.
“Federal officials have an opportunity to support construction demand while making needed enhancements to the overall economy,” Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer, said.
