They put the “con” in construction.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development agency was busted trying to pass off a decade-old photo from South Africa as an illustration of the state’s job growth.

Empire State Development splashed not one but two full-page images of the cranes constructing a soccer stadium in Cape Town on its latest annual report, alongside copy touting the organization’s “investment strategy.”

The agency claimed it was just supposed to be a “generic stock image,” but said it will replace the foreign photo with a genuine New York one “to avoid any potential misperceptions,” according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

Critics said it was just another example of the lack of transparency in Cuomo’s economic development programs — which have recently included ads touting the governor.

“Certainly sticking in construction cranes from half a world away isn’t going to build confidence in their credibility,” said E.J. McMahon of watchdog group the Empire Center for Public Policy.

The image comes from photo agency Getty Images — and costs $575 to use, according to the Associated Press, which first spotted the deception.

With Post wires