Job openings reached 259,000 in the construction industry in April, according to the recently released Survey of Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number is 25,000 higher than the one recorded in March, and 52,000 more than the number of openings in April 2025.
Anirban Basu, chief economist at Associated Builders and Contractors, noted that the growing number of openings indicates that contractors are having “increasing difficulty” filling vacancies. “Fewer construction workers were laid off in April than in any month since the first half of 2022, and industry-wide job openings, while still relatively low by historical standards, have increased by more than 25% over the past year,” Basu said in a statement.
Hiring reached 323,000 in April, up 17,000 from March, but down 26,000 year over year. Total separations, which include layoffs, layoffs, discharges and other separations, stood at 295,000. The figure represents a monthly drop of 9,000, and is 49,000 for the year.
“These dynamics likely stem from immigration policy and declining numbers of undocumented workers, as well as acute shortages of certain workers, including those involved in data center construction,” Basu said. “Labor availability is unlikely to improve in the short term.”
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