WASHINGTON --Today’s job market report demonstrates a construction job loss crisis and calls for an aggressive economic stimulus program focused on creating jobs.

The report released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 43,000 construction jobs were lost between the May 2008 and June 2008.

The net loss of 493,000 construction jobs since 2007 nearly equals the amount of jobs lost in the manufacturing industry, despite the manufacturing industry being almost twice the size of the construction industry.

Earlier this year, Congress and President Bush responded to mounting unemployment and an economy sliding into recession with a one-time economic stimulus package. Working families who are struggling appreciated the break, but the one-time check will did nothing to stimulate the economy in the long term.

Instead of one-time tax rebates we real long term economic stimulus.

There is work to be done in the construction industry. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the basic infrastructure of the United States a near-failing grade due to years of neglect and estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over the next five years to build America.