Construction work openings reached 245,000 in May, according to job openings and the labor turnover survey (JOLTS) published today by the Office of Labor Statistics. The number is 3,000 greater than 242,000 construction work openings in April, but 130,000 less than 375,000 openings in May 2024.
“Labor demand throughout the industry remained in May,” said Anirban Basu, an economist in chief of builders and associate contractors in a statement. “Work openings have dropped around 35% year -on -year and layoffs are historically rare.”
In May, total contracts reached 361,000, while total employment separations, including, but without limiting workers who were far away, downloaded or left, registered at 368,000. “It is not clear how the uncertainty of immigration policy affects this data,” said Basu. “To the extent that a decrease in the hiring of workers without documentation is not reflected, the industry could be significantly weaker than it seems.”
However, Basu said, contractors are “optimistic”. According to ABC’s confidence index, more than half of the survey participants expect to add staff to the second half of the year.
