Construction Job Openings End 2025 at Nearly 300,000
Key Highlights
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Construction job openings rose by 8,000 in December alone
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Year-over-year openings increased by 87,000 positions
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Data reinforces continued labor demand heading into 2026
WASHINGTON — The construction industry reported 292,000 job openings on the final day of December, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors of data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) Survey.
The total represents an increase of 8,000 open positions compared to November and a year-over-year gain of 87,000 jobs, underscoring sustained demand for skilled labor across the construction sector.
Job Openings Reflect Ongoing Workforce Pressure
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. The December increase suggests contractors continued to seek additional workers even as the year came to a close, highlighting ongoing workforce challenges tied to project demand and labor availability.
“This release paints a slightly more upbeat picture of the construction industry’s labor force dynamics,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The hiring rate rebounded from the historical lows seen in October and November, and industrywide job openings rose to the highest level since July.
“Despite this improvement, demand for construction workers remains subdued, as has been the case for several quarters. Fewer construction workers were hired in 2024 and 2025 than in any two-year period since 2015-2016. This recent weakness has not dampened contractor confidence, and ABC members on net expect to increase their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”
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.