US Construction Job Openings Increase in July

A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) July Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), with analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), shows that construction job openings rose even as the national labor market softened.

The number of unfilled construction jobs increased from a revised 242,000 in June to 306,000 in July. Year-over-year, openings rose from 229,000 in July 2024 to 306,000.

The construction job openings rate increased to 3.5%, up from 2.7% a year earlier.

The layoff rate in construction rose to 2.8% in July, the highest since March 2023. Meanwhile, the quits rate declined to 0.9%, the lowest on record for the sector since data collection began in 2000.

According to NAHB’s analysis, the construction market experienced “considerable churn” in July, with job openings rising, quits very low, and layoffs increasing. Future data will help clarify longer-term trends.