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Hartford (WTNH) – Connecticut Democrats wants Gov. Jodi Rell to authorize more money for state construction projects, a sector of the economy that has been especially hard hit.

While Connecticut’s unemployment rate is 8.2 percent, it is estimated that construction industry unemployment is upwards of 25 percent.

George Van Tassel came to the Capitol today to say he only had five weeks of work this entire year.

“You don’t earn enough in five weeks to pay a year’s worth of bills or get enough hours to get medical coverage for your family,” he said.

And he’s not alone.

“Work is extremely scarce, competition is fierce and layoffs have become a reality,” said David Brennan, Brennan Construction Company.

With a number of construction projects in the Greater New Haven area coming to an end, it’s estimated that 800 to 1,000 more construction jobs will be lost.

“We have used every resource available to us and we come before you today having laid off 50 people this year,” Brennan said.

So today Democratic lawmakers called on Rell to approve more borrowing for state construction projects that have already been approved by the legislature.

“We are proposing that one billion dollars in additional capital investment be made over the next 12 month period,” said Sen. Don DeFronzo (D-Transportation Committee).

The lawmakers note that interest rates are down, and bids on jobs are coming in 15 to 20 percent lower than expected because of the competition for work.

A spokesperson for Rell said, “$1.28 billion has been approved for construction projects large and small. All of these projects have one goal: putting people to work. A billion dollars in new, unscheduled bonding would cost taxpayers $400 million in borrowing costs.”