Recent news articles have sent mixed signals about how healthy the construction industry is, but the fact remains that companies must strive to limit New York construction accidents despite economic factors.

A story from Bloomberg News reports that construction spending has continued climbing in recent months, while a Wall Street Journal story states that new construction fell in 2011.

Our New York construction accident attorneys hope that the industry as a whole will recover soon from the economic woes of our nation. At the same time, industry officials must not simply look at the bottom line. Safety must be a priority and cutting corners to save dollars -- which puts workers and the public at risk -- isn't the answer.

According to The Wall Street Journal, New York's construction industry showed signs of weakness, with a 31 percent drop in the value of construction projects between 2010 and 2011. The story attributes a drop in government spending on infrastructure and fewer new, large buildings for the year-to-year decline.

The drop in construction value dropped from about $20 billion to $13.8 billion in 2011. But residential construction projects increased in value by about 25 percent to $2.9 million in 2011, according to a recent report.

The Bloomberg story reports that construction spending nationwide is on the rise, however. Building outlays were up 1.5 percent in December, the biggest increase since August. Analysts had called for a 0.5 percent increase.

This article, too, recognizes that a drop in government spending could hurt the progress of the industry, which was hit hard by the recession in 2007. In many areas of the country, new commercial construction left projects half-complete when the recession hit, costing investors and construction companies millions of dollars.

Private construction increased 2.1 percent in December from November, which was noted as the largest gain since May. The value of private construction was $529.7 billion annually, the largest increase since December 2009.

While the articles aren't all good news, it shows that the industry is trying to get back on its feet. The industry certainly is needed in order to ensure our country continues it's economic recovery from the recent downturn. While companies may be looking to cut funds as a way to recover, they must make sure they are paying to provide proper safety training and providing protective gear and updated equipment.

The Manhattan injury lawyers at Antin, Ehrlich & Epstein can be reached toll free at 888-563-4213.