The big numbers tell it all. In 1993, there were 28,000 construction jobs in the Sacramento region. Last year there were 73,000. It’s been a big factor in the region’s job growth … but this year the state Employment Development Department projects as few as 1,000 new constructions will be added … the least growth since the end of the last recession. This year there was a 40% drop in new home sales in the first half compared to 2005. While unemployment in the region remains low, and there is job growth, construction is less a player in creating new employment.