The Associated General Contractors of America said in a report issued Wednesday that construction-related jobs in Nashville dropped by 13 percent in August from the same month a year earlier.

Construction jobs dropped 22 percent across Tennessee.

In the Nashville metro area, construction-related employment went down by 5,200 over the year ended August 2009, the AGC of America's report says. There were 35,000 people still employed in construction in the Nashville area as of August, down from 40,200 a year earlier.

Nashville ranked 189th out of the 337 metro areas studied, with first place meaning the biggest gain in construction jobs by percentage and 337th place the most jobs lost by percentage.

Nationwide, unemployment in the construction industry now stands at 16.5 percent, well over the national rate for all industries, the report says.

The report is based on AGC of America's analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. It includes direct construction jobs as well as employment in related segments of mining and logging.

With the report, the trade group unveiled a proposal combining incentives, tax cuts and infrastructure investments that it said would help "stem the dramatic decline in construction activity and employment taking place nationwide."

It includes a call for repealing the alternative minimum tax and increasing and extending a series of tax credits and cuts – including the net operating loss carry back – to boost investments in real estate development, as well as doubling federal spending on transportation infrastructure.

Statewide in Tennessee, the report said construction-related employment declined 22 percent, to 105,000 jobs, over the 12-month period.

Nationwide, AGC of America said only eight metro areas out of 337 saw gains in construction employment, led by Columbus, Ind., with a 14 percent increase. Five other cities saw no change.

The biggest decline by percentage was in Reno-Sparks, Nev., with a 35 percent drop in jobs.

Labels: Jobs in Nashville