The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey shows the construction industry registered 326,000 job openings in July, which is up by 28,000 for the month and up by 21,000 from July 2025. The survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting.
Construction workers were laid off at the same rate as they quit; the layoff/discharge rate and the quit rate were 1.9% in July.
“The construction job opening rate rose to the highest level in nearly two years in July,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Contractor hiring also accelerated for the month, while layoff activity slowed. This meaningful improvement in labor demand is a function of insatiable demand for data centers and the accompanying strength in power-related construction."
Basu continued: “With contractors broadly optimistic about expanding their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, it’s possible that reemerging worker shortages will put upward pressure on labor costs over the next several months.”
