The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 248,000 job openings in March, which is down by 38,000 from February and down by 90,000 from March 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 March was 2%, and the layoff/discharge rate was 1.7%.
“Construction job openings continued to trend lower in March, a clear sign of slowing industrywide demand for labor,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Hiring activity was particularly weak for the month, with the 302,000 hires equivalent to just 3.6% of industrywide jobs—the lowest rate ever recorded.
“With quitting and layoff activity also subdued for the month, construction labor force churn is virtually nonexistent at the moment,” Basu continued. “While a majority of contractors surveyed in March expect to increase their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, tariffs and other economic headwinds may blunt hiring expectations in the months to come.”
