Construction Sector Faces Stagnant Job Market Amid Uncertainty

WASHINGTON, DC — The development sector noticed 224,000 job openings on the final day of March, 2026, this in accordance with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. (JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled place for which an employer is actively recruiting.) Business job openings elevated by 23,000 final month however are down by 54,000 from the identical time final yr.

“The trade’s labor market continues to be outlined by an utter lack of churn,” mentioned Related Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

“Development trade hiring rebounded from February’s historically low level however stays extraordinarily subdued,” Basu continued. “Contractors additionally stay reluctant to fireside employees; the layoff/discharge fee fell to the slowest tempo since early 2024 and is decrease than at any level previous to 2022.

“On the identical time, employees are additionally reluctant to stop in comparison with the prevailing development of the late 2010s and early 2020s. Whereas contractors stay assured that their staffing ranges will enhance this yr, in accordance with ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, these stagnant labor market dynamics recommend that the trade stays in a holding sample, one it is not going to exit till financial uncertainty lessens.”