US Construction Job Openings Fall to Lowest Level in Nearly a Decade

According to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data for August, the construction industry had 188,000 job openings on the last day of the month.

Industry job openings fell by 115,000 from July and were down 116,000 from the same time last year, dropping to the lowest level in nearly a decade.

ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said:

“Construction job openings plunged in August, falling to the lowest rate in nearly a decade. While this data series tends to be volatile on a month-to-month basis, the precipitous decline in job openings aligns with other indicators like construction spending and employment, both of which have fallen in recent months. Contractors remain relatively optimistic about the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, yet recent data has made it abundantly clear that the construction industry is currently contracting.”