JOLTS Report Shows Sluggish Construction Hiring
Key Highlights
- The construction industry had 231,000 job openings at the end of January, down slightly from December and last year
- Hiring rates increased to the fastest since mid-2025, but remain slower than historical averages since 2001
- Industry confidence remains strong, with contractors optimistic about staffing growth over the next six months
WASHINGTON, DC — The construction industry saw 231,000 job openings on the last day of January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 14,000 in January and are down by 1,000 from the same time last year.
“While construction hiring accelerated in January, rising to the fastest rate since the first half of 2025, that’s unfortunately not saying much,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The industry’s hiring rate is still slower than at any point between the start of the data series in 2001 and the end of 2019. Contractors remain confident that their staffing levels will expand over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, although that confidence has remained intact for much of the past several years while hiring has remained subdued.”
Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.