The construction industry had 326,000 job openings at the end of July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Job openings increased by 28,000 from June and were up 21,000 from July 2025. The construction job opening rate also reached its highest level in nearly two years.
Contractor hiring accelerated during the month while layoffs declined. ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu attributed the stronger demand for construction workers in part to continued data center development and related power construction.
With contractors also reporting plans to increase staffing levels over the next six months, the strengthening labor demand could contribute to renewed worker shortages and upward pressure on construction labor costs.
