The construction industry lost roughly 11,000 jobs overall in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March 6 jobs report that estimates the American economy fell apart 92,000 jobs for the month.
Heavy civil engineering firms and specialty contractors led the decline in construction sector jobs, which combined to shed roughly 17,400 positions for the month. Of that total, specialty contractors shed 10,900 jobs, with 9,500 of those jobs coming from companies focused on residential construction.
Heavy and civil engineering contractors reduced employment by 6,500 positions, the BLS reported.
Meanwhile, building contractors added about 6,500 jobs in February, nonresidential contractors added 4,100 and residential contractors increased employment by 2,400 positions.
“Construction employment contracted again in February and has now declined in 8 of the past 11 months,” Anirban Basu, chief economist at Associated Builders and Contractors, said in a statement.
“Construction spending has declined for several quarters, with the ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator falling to a four-year low in January,” Basu added. “With the conflict in Iran adding to uncertainty related to trade policy and crude oil prices well above $80 a barrel, the outlook for the industry remains subdued in the early months of 2026.”
Macrina Wilkins, director of market information for the Associated General Contractors of America, added that “contractors may be more reluctant to add workers amid uncertainty about how much they will pay for building materials and demand for certain types of construction projects.”
Despite this, Wilkins noted that, “even with the monthly decline, construction employment has grown at a faster rate over the past year than the overall economy.”
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new intelligent AI search tool.
Ask ENR →
