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Construction employment declined in 31 states from July 2011 to July 2012 and in 28 states in the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that construction employment decreased in the majority of states as public construction funding continues to shrink, offsetting gains in homebuilding and nonresidential construction. "Public construction cuts in particular are taking their toll on construction employment in many parts of the country," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "With economic growth remaining sluggish, there is a chance construction employment will begin to slip in even more places." Read the full press release . News was covered by , ,  ,Ìý, , , , r, , , , , , , , , , , and .