From job to job to job, a building anxiety

Although a number of major projects in the region have gotten underway, Deane’s frustration is emblematic of the unpredictable nature of the current recovery. The recent stock market slide suggests that what little momentum the economy has may soon be choked off, as builders and funders, fearing another recession, adopt a wait-and-see stance on construction.

Even before recession fears began to rise again, the building sector was expected to be in retreat for the remainder of the year. In its most recent semiannual forecast issued in late July, the American Institute of Architects predicted construction spending will decline by 5.6 percent in the second half of 2011, largely due to continued reluctance by lenders to finance projects.

The industry has added just 4,200 jobs in Massachusetts over the past year, and a similar increase is expected in the coming months, based on the number of projects getting underway. But that will still leave the industry about 20,000 jobs shy of the 136,000 workers that marked its most recent high point. The industry has experienced similarly modest gains throughout the country.

Barry Beaudoin was hired onto one of the big projects that broke ground recently - the Fan Pier complex on the South Boston waterfront. Over the last year the 55-year-old pile driver from Braintree was lucky if he worked one week a month. His income was cut by more than half to just $32,000 - and that included unemployment benefits.

But after draining his savings to pay his mortgage and son’s college tuition, Beaudoin said, the recent spate of steady work has merely kept him from falling further behind on his finances, rather than getting ahead.

“My bills are paid up to date, and I’m basically broke,’’ Beaudoin said. “I’m working week to week, and I’m not usually like that. Right now if I lose a couple of weeks, I’m in the hole.’’

The construction industry is much more bleak than when he started in the early 1970s. In his first 15 years Beaudoin was laid off just twice. He will finish up a two-month job at Fan Pier next week. Then it will be three weeks of unemployment before he heads out to a three-week job at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Boston.