The construction industry had 370,000 job openings on the last day of August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 138,000 last month but are down by 16,000 from the same time last year. “Construction job openings rebounded sharply in August, exhibiting the largest one-month increase on record,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Much of this surge is likely due to the … Read more
ABC Joins Roundtable on Addiction Recovery-Ready Workplaces
Associated Builders and Contractors today participated in a White House-sponsored roundtable discussion, “Recovery in the Workplace: Investing to Build the Workforce of Tomorrow,” which convened more than a dozen corporations, business groups and government leaders at the White House in Washington, D.C., to highlight the importance of recovery-ready and recovery-friendly workplaces and share best practices. Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development, discussed ABC’s Total Human Health Initiative at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Recovery Month Roundtable. At the roundtable, ABC committed to a Recovery Friendly Workplace Certification, explore incorporating … Read more
August Nonresidential Construction Employment Up by 28,300, ABC Says
The construction industry added 34,000 jobs on net in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment grew by 228,000 jobs, an increase of 2.8%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 28,300 positions on net, with growth in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added the most jobs on net, increasing by 14,000 positions. Heavy and civil engineering and nonresidential building added 13,500 and 800 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in August. Unemployment across all industries declined from 4.3% in … Read more
Survey Says: ABC Members Invested $1.6 Billion to Upskill Construction Workforce
Associated Builders and Contractors recently released its 2024 Workforce Development Survey, which found its member contractors invested $1.6 billion to provide craft, leadership and health and safety education to more than 1.3 million course attendees nationwide in 2023, up from $1.5 billion in 2022 and on track with $1.6 billion in 2021. Other key findings included: Safety education accounts for the greatest share of total workforce investment at 59%, which has remained stable since 2022 ABC contractors invested an average of 7.5% of payroll on workforce development in 2023, slightly down from 8% in 2022 Trade and specialty contractors continued … Read more
March Construction Job Openings Show Volatility, Decreasing By 182,000, Says ABC
The construction industry had 274,000 job openings on the last day of March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 182,000 last month and are down by 17,000 from the same time last year. “Construction job openings plunged in March, falling to the lowest level since October 2020,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While there are many headwinds facing the industry, including the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates, this dismal number likely reflects a statistical aberration rather than a legitimate decline in … Read more