Number of Job Openings in Construction Near Peak Level

At the start of 2018, the number of vacant construction sector jobs rose to 250,000, up roughly 36 percent year-over-year. The industry had the most job openings in July 2017, at 255,000.

While more positions are vacant, the construction sector hiring rate fell in January to 5.2 percent. The average for firings decreased to 2.6 percent, while the rate of workers quitting rose to 2.4 percent, according to the National Association of Home Builders. NAHB anticipates net hiring to increase as single-family construction projects rise. They do note that labor remains a primary challenge in the industry.

According to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs was 159,000, a year ago in January 2017. The overall trend for open construction jobs has been increasing since the end of the Great Recession. This is consistent with survey data indicating that access to labor remains a top business challenge for builders.

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