The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 246,000 job openings in June, which is up by 14,000 from May but down by 39,000 from June 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 were laid off at a faster rate than they quit; the layoff/discharge rate in June was 2%, and the quit rate was 1.9%.
“While industrywide job openings increased in June, the share of all construction positions that are unfilled remains low by recent standards,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “More importantly, the hiring rate during the first half of 2025 was lower than during the first six months of any year since the start of the data series in 2000. Because contractors have also been laying workers off at a historically slow pace, industrywide employment continues to edge higher, but few job openings and sluggish hiring suggest weak demand for labor.
“That said, these data likely reflect the fact that the residential segment has struggled mightily this year, while nonresidential employment data have been more upbeat,” Basu continued. “Fewer than 14% of ABC members expect their staffing levels to decrease during the second half of 2025, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index. This suggests the nonresidential side of the industry will continue to add jobs during the third and fourth quarters of 2025.”
