US Construction Employment Climbs in June

A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) nonfarm payroll report for June, with analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), shows that overall US construction employment rose by 11,000 in June, following a gain of 6,000 in May. Within the industry, residential construction lost 8,600 jobs, while nonresidential construction added approximately 19,900.

As of June, residential construction employment stood at 3.3 million, including 916,000 builders and remodelers and 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors.

The six-month moving average for job gains in residential construction was negative, with an average loss of 3,517 jobs per month. This reflects declines in four of the past six months.

Over the past year, residential construction recorded a net loss of 48,800 jobs, marking the 16th consecutive annual decline and the longest stretch of annual losses since the Great Recession. Since the post–Great Recession low, the sector has added 1,283,400 jobs.

The construction unemployment rate rose to 6.2% in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from 5.2% in May and 3.7% in April. This marked the second consecutive monthly increase and the highest reading since July 2021.