The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 236,000 job openings in January, which is up by 31,000 from December 2024 and down by 171,000 from January 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 January was 2%, and the layoff/discharge rate was 1.8%.
“While construction job openings remained subdued in January, industrywide labor force churn increased meaningfully,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Both hires and separations—including layoffs, discharges and quits—accelerated to the fastest rate since the first half of 2024. Yes, recent construction spending data and investor caution in the face of volatile trade policy represent a cause for concern, but nearly 6 in 10 contractors expect their staffing levels to grow over the next several months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index. That, along with healthy industrywide job growth in February, suggests job openings should continue to trend higher in the coming months.”
