The Springfield area had the largest percentage drop in construction employment in the nation in the past year, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Construction employment declined in 160 out of 337 metropolitan areas between September 2011 and September 2012, increased in 125 and was stagnant in 52, according to the analysis.

Springfield, Mass.-Conn. (-25 percent, -2,600 jobs) lost the highest percentage. Other large job losses were in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (-6,300 jobs, -12 percent); followed by Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. (-5,900 jobs, -9 percent); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. (-5,800 jobs, -6 percent) and Edison-New Brunswick, N.J. (-4,800 jobs, -13 percent).

Other areas experiencing large percentage declines in construction employment included Jackson, Miss. (-23 percent, -2,500 jobs); Anchorage, Alaska (-22 percent, -2,300 jobs) and Lansing-East Lansing, Mich. (-19 percent, -1,200 jobs).

Association officials said that construction employment in many areas continued to decline as construction activity is put on hold amid uncertainty about federal tax and investment programs and declining public sector demand.

"A lot of project owners appear to be taking a time out until Washington officials can set tax rates for next year and figure out what to do about the planned sequestration cuts," Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement.  "Few businesses are going to invest in major new projects when they don’t even know what they will be paying in taxes next year or what direction the economy will be heading."

The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area fared better, adding 5,200 jobs for a 10 percent employment gain in the past year.

Association officials added that while recovery and reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Sandy might prompt temporary spikes in construction employment in some metro areas throughout the Northeast, the overall impact was unlikely to significantly alter economic conditions for the construction industry.