South Florida is one of the hardest-hit regions for construction job losses as a ``depression'' continues to strangle the industry, the Associated General Contractors of America said Thursday.

Palm Beach County lost 6,500 construction jobs between January 2009 and January 2010, and its industrywide employment fell by 22 percent, the trade group reported after analyzing federal employment figures.

Broward County lost 9,700 positions and its construction employment declined by 23 percent during the year.

The two counties ranked among the 32 worst metro areas in the nation. The only other metro area in Florida with more construction job losses than Broward was Orlando, which shed 15,300 jobs.

``It isn't pretty, is it?'' said Len Mills, executive vice president of AGC's South Florida chapter based in Sunrise.

Construction employment statewide dropped by 19 percent and the industry lost 80,000 jobs. Nationwide, 313 of 337 areas shed construction jobs during the year.

``It's difficult to imagine that many regions will bounce back when so many construction workers are unemployed,'' Ken Simonson, the national AGC's chief economist, said in a statement. ``Worse, with virtually every city suffering significant construction job losses, there's nowhere to hide from what is clearly a construction depression.''

Eighteen months ago, Mills said, he had roughly 140 students studying to be journeyman carpenters in his chapter's apprenticeship program. Now there are 34, and many of those don't have jobs.

Palm Beach County had its bleakest January since 1994, said Michelle Anaya DePotter, executive director of AGC's Florida East Coast Chapter based in West Palm Beach.

``I knew the numbers would be bad, but I didn't think they'd be this bad,'' she said.

AGC members mostly are commercial builders who construct offices, schools, roads and bridges. Building has slowed substantially in many areas amid the still-soft economy.

The Phoenix metro area lost 27,600 construction jobs during the annual period, more than any other region nationwide. Steubenville, Ohio, and Wierton, W. Va., tied for the largest percentage decline in construction employment at 44 percent.

Simonson called for tax incentives to stimulate construction, but he doesn't expect a rebound anytime soon.

``If we can't find a way to keep what's left of the industry working, construction job losses are only going to get worse,'' he said.