The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 245,000 job openings in May, which is up by 3,000 from April but down by 130,000 from May 2024, according to Associated Builders and Contractors. The survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting.
Construction workers quit at a faster rate than they were laid off; the quit rate in May was 2.2%, and the layoff/discharge rate was 2%.
“Industrywide labor demand continued to be subdued in May,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The year-to-date construction hiring rate is lower than in any year since the start of the data series in 2000. Job openings are down about 35% year over year and layoffs remain historically uncommon. Of course, it’s unclear how immigration policy uncertainty is affecting these data. To the extent that a decline in the hiring of undocumented workers is not reflected, the industry could be significantly weaker than it appears.
“Despite that possibility, contractors remained optimistic in May,” Basu continued. “Over 55% expect their staffing levels to increase during the second half of 2025, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”
