ABC: Construction Lost 11,000 Jobs in December, Added Just 14,000 Jobs in 2025

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The construction industry lost 11,000 jobs on net in December, 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 14,000 jobs, an increase of 0.2%. Nonresidential construction employment decreased by 7,800 positions on net, with losses in 2 of the 3 subcategories. Heavy and civil engineering added 2,300 jobs, while nonresidential specialty trade and nonresidential building lost 8,900 and 1,200 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate was 5.0% in December. Unemployment across all industries dropped to 4.4% but is 0.3 percentage points higher … Read more

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Construction Job Openings Rebound by 90,000 in November 2025

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The construction industry had 292,000 job openings on the last day of November, 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 90,000 during the month and are up by 15,000 from the same time last year. “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 … Read more

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Adds 28,800 Jobs in November

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The construction industry added 28,000 jobs on net in November, 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 has expanded by 58,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 28,800 positions, with gains in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added 18,700 jobs, while nonresidential building and heavy and civil engineering added 5,100 and 5,000 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate was 4.1% in November. Unemployment across all industries rose to 4.6% and is 0.4 percentage points higher than one year ago. … Read more

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ABC: Construction Job Openings Remain ‘Extraordinarily Low’ in October

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The construction industry had 213,000 job openings on the last day of October, 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 18,000 in October and are down by 36,000 from the same time last year. “The number of open, unfilled construction jobs remained extraordinarily low in October,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Hires, on the other hand, fell sharply for the month. This … Read more

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ABC Contractor Backlog, Confidence Slip in October

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Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in October, according to an ABC member survey conducted Oct. 20-Nov. 4. The reading is down 0.1 months since September but unchanged from October 2024. Backlog was flat or increased on a monthly basis in each of the three industries considered in this survey. Backlog for respondents that do not primarily operate in any one industry—generally the smallest contractors responding to the survey—fell sharply for the month and stands at just 5.8 months. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales was unchanged in October, while the … Read more

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