Open construction jobs fell at the end of September to 288,000, down 12% from the previous month and 32% on a year-over-year basis, according to Construction Dive. In September, 3.4% of construction jobs remained unfilled, which was 4.5% lower than the national average.
While some experts attribute this shift in job openings to Hurricane Helene, the storm is only partly to blame, as the decline in construction jobs began much earlier, says Macrina Wilkins, senior research analyst for the Associated General Contractors of America, a trade association.
“In hurricane-affected states like Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, there was only a slight decrease in the number of construction jobs added in September compared to the previous month,” Wilkins said. “This suggests that while local disruptions from Hurricane Helene likely impacted openings, they may not be the sole factor driving the decline.”