Construction Industry Faces Record Job Openings in April 2026

WASHINGTON, DC — According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the construction industry had 259,000 job openings as of the last day of April, 2026. 

JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 25,000 last month and are up by 52,000 from the same time last year. 

“This release of April data suggests that contractors are increasingly struggling to fill open positions,” said Associated Builders and Contractors' chief economist Anirban Basu. “Fewer construction workers were laid off in April than in any month since the first half of 2022, and industrywide job openings, while still relatively low by historical standards, are up more than 25% over the past year.

“These dynamics likely stem from immigration policy and the shrinking number of undocumented workers, as well as acute shortages of certain trades workers, including those involved in data center construction. While contractors remain broadly optimistic about increasing their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, labor availability is unlikely to improve over the short term.”

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.