The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 292,000 job openings in November 2025, which is up by 90,000 for the month and up by 15,000 from November 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 was 1.8% in November 2025, and the layoff/discharge rate was 1.7%.
“Construction job openings rose meaningfully in November and were up on a year-over-year basis for the first time since July,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “At the same time, the industrywide pace of layoffs plunged to the lowest level of 2025, matching the second-lowest rate ever recorded.
“While these dynamics suggest that demand for construction workers accelerated in November, hiring remains slower than at any point on record prior to 2020,” Basu continued. “Contractors remain relatively upbeat about expanding their staffing levels during the first half of 2026, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, yet the month-to-month volatility of JOLTS data and persistently sluggish pace of hiring could temper optimism inspired by today’s release.”
