Dive Brief:
- Construction job openings sank to an "extraordinarily low” level in October, signaling a lingering cool-off in labor demand, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
- Construction employers reported 213,000 job openings on the last day of October, down 18,000 from September and 36,000 year over year. The report considers a job opening any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting.
- Openings dipped as hires also dropped sharply, another sign construction activity slowed through most of this year, according to ABC.
Dive Insight:
The October total kept job openings at a muted level, a trend that has held throughout 2025. The pattern aligns with other indicators pointing to a broader industry slowdown outside of the booming construction niches, such as data center construction.
“The number of open, unfilled construction jobs remained extraordinarily low in October,” said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist, in the release. “The construction industry has been in a state of contraction throughout the majority of 2025.”
The job openings report stands as the most current snapshot of labor activity, as other construction economic releases remained delayed following the recent government shutdown. Basu said more updated data will not be available until later this month.
Nevertheless, contractors are still showing signs of confidence in the months ahead, said Basu. Many firms still plan to expand their workforces as they prepare for opportunities to materialize in early 2026.
“Despite what has been a fairly dismal stretch of industry data, contractors remain upbeat about their hiring intentions over the next six months,” said Basu.
