The construction industry added 26,000 jobs in March 2026, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has grown by 57,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%.
Non-residential construction employment increased by 12,200 positions, with gains across all three subcategories. Non-residential building added the most jobs, increasing by 4,500 positions. Specialty trade and heavy and civil engineering added 3,900 and 3,800 jobs, respectively, in March.
The construction unemployment rate was 6.7% last month. While unemployment across all industries dropped to 4.3%, it is still 0.1 percentage points higher than one year ago.
“Industry-wide employment has expanded by an average of 19,300 jobs per month in 2026,” noted ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “That’s a marked improvement from 2025, when construction employment actually declined, but there remains cause for concern about the industry’s outlook.”
Basu noted that the March jobs data does not capture “the detrimental ways in which the conflict in Iran will continue to affect the construction industry.”
He pointed out that oil prices have risen to prices not seen since 2022, with diesel pricing soaring to $5.40 per gallon, up more than $1.90 per gallon from the start of this year. At the same time, higher treasury yields are putting renewed pressure on borrowing costs.
“While contractors were relatively optimistic about the near-term outlook as of February, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, it remains to be seen how long that optimism can persist under current economic conditions,” Basu added.
Established in 1950, Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association with 67 chapters and 24,000 members.
