US Construction Employment Trends Higher in April

A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) nonfarm payroll report for April, with additional analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reveals that employment in the construction sector increased by 11,000 jobs in April, following a downwardly revised gain of 7,000 in March.

Residential construction gained 3,400 jobs, and nonresidential added 8,000.

Residential construction employment now stands at 3.3 million, broken down as 956,000 builders and 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors. The six-month moving average of job gains in the sector was -1,583 per month, largely due to job losses in three of the past six months (October 2024, January, and March).

Over the past year, home builders and remodelers added a net 5,000 jobs. Since the low point following the Great Recession, residential construction employment has increased by 1,367,000 positions.

In April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for construction workers rose to 5.2%. While up for the month, the rate remains relatively low compared to the peak of 15.3% in April 2020 amid the pandemic.