Shop NRCA has the industry resources you need
News Feb. 2, 2023

Construction job openings climbed in December 2022

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 413,000 job openings in December 2022, which is up 82,000 from November 2022 and 54,000 from December 2021, according to www.abc.org. The survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. 

Construction workers quit their jobs at the same rate they were laid off or discharged; the quit rate and layoff/discharge rate in December 2022 was 2%. 

“The number of open construction jobs surged in at the end of 2022,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The 5% of industrywide positions that were unfilled in December is the third highest level on record and higher than at any point since 2000, when the data series began, until October 2021. With more than 55% of contractors planning to increase their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, labor shortages will remain a stiff headwind for the industry.

“While parts of the economy, like consumer spending, are beginning to show signs of weakness, demand for labor remains significantly elevated,” Basu continued. “Economywide job openings increased for the first time since September and remain about 57% above pre-pandemic levels. The implication here is that contractors, who have been facing labor shortages for several years, must now compete with other industries for workers.”


Advertisement

Subscribe for Updates Join 25,000+ roofing professionals following NRCA

Subscribe to NRCA