The Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicated that the number of vacant positions in the construction sector increased in April.
The present level of open jobs is significantly lower than it was three years ago as a result of a decrease in construction activity, particularly in the housing sector.
The recent improvements in nonresidential construction have not entirely compensated for the weak housing market in terms of the demand for construction labor.
April witnessed a significant increase in the number of unfilled positions within the general economy, rising from 6.89 million in March to 7.62 million.
In comparison to the previous year, the April reading was also significantly higher (7.10 million).
The preliminary estimates will be worth monitoring next month to determine whether they are accurate, as the data indicates that labor demand is robust, particularly in the professional and business service sectors.
The number of open construction sector positions increased for the month, slightly increasing from 234,000 in March to 259,000 in April.
The total was higher than that of the previous year, which was 207,000.
The chart below illustrates a downward trend in unfilled construction positions, which was followed by a period of stability, following the Federal Reserve’s increase in the federal funds rate and the subsequent decline in home building.
Although employment in the home building sector was in decline during the latter half of 2025, other sectors of the construction industry have experienced growth, such as data center construction.
Since 2024, this has resulted in a reduced range of volatility in the job openings series.
The rate of construction job openings rose to 3% in April, a modest increase from the 2.4% rate that was estimated a year ago.
In April, the construction industry’s layoff rate decreased marginally to 1.5%. For the month, the resignation rate remained constant at 1.7%.
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