Despite Huge Declines in Job Openings, Most Contractors Plan to Hire
by David Flaherty | 3 June 2025 2:01 pm
[1]The construction industry had 248,000 job openings on the last day of April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 3,000 last month and are down by 78,000 from the same time last year.
“Construction labor market churn remained unusually slow in April,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “The rates of hires, layoffs, and quits are all low by historical standards, and industrywide job openings have fallen 45 percent since reaching an all-time high in December 2023. Despite stagnant workforce dynamics and emerging weakness in construction spending data[2], approximately 57 percent of contractors intend to increase their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index[3]
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- emerging weakness in construction spending data: https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.B3w3a56XR38KOQ9w1qfmFoP-2FEWM-2FewBHNxGYkeXI3qwABBcm1Qpk9-2FMYBS5XVg9AIK5KYQEt-2BxCmTns580vAGdDqM-2F5ROf8s7AZUARX0v6I-2FGI79P9nfG-2FcwOs6-2Boq7OafcqYHzRH-2FeHE-2B9SBQRB5g-3D-3DQaJQ_HILVM0WzPfPjojbjy3ives-2Bc8o94S5iw9BLdxOanGabQwUv8DHoRyYRCMia8LU4sUsT2Kg5RgKRDPtFCvZYrc9FWYRMoad7FLzGVTLMMAgEQCGkpZ6PjO9xEa50gAq6LtoyslzfFbuhMKOClE75JOdGtFl9U2HNEK8UZSMupacqusAP-2BzxZdTBsNpA5fCdsMt1jsX-2B4nooCurZNkM7uz5KFPRRMt5ai6MsUzb5MFZNOXYAjZaF9KWsyAXEv4EnFJ1pySh5aQgU8egqMqrZY6juadk0zHIhqoxbHGiRJeIleh5dc8n-2FD3ekzKKA0eCyyTXFctF4D1uMTH06mvTeSA-2B0YKPq2-2FDrUJ9iPR48UYlsyiQzrltkJFv8wjZ9NHxwLiqmTqcaJiuGivSXrY6-2F8tag-3D-3D
- ABC’s Construction Confidence Index: https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.B3w3a56XR38KOQ9w1qfmFoP-2FEWM-2FewBHNxGYkeXI3qwABBcm1Qpk9-2FMYBS5XVg9AHnnPR9uS1m0imqm0FTkQpUKQNn2X-2Fp8aBRPX8Rd1DfJzc3yPtSb-2BEgHdEVYvcsjvi5XN2lzmDjTIpq0r4O4r4TmGX4W3BqQfcyCvMAnF79Ijz-2BPXQLZXx-2Fmeo498evHooBrQnQzwc7d-2FIB9mdHRRrg-3D-3DheNu_HILVM0WzPfPjojbjy3ives-2Bc8o94S5iw9BLdxOanGabQwUv8DHoRyYRCMia8LU4sUsT2Kg5RgKRDPtFCvZYrc9FWYRMoad7FLzGVTLMMAgEQCGkpZ6PjO9xEa50gAq6LtoyslzfFbuhMKOClE75JOdGtFl9U2HNEK8UZSMupacqusAP-2BzxZdTBsNpA5fCdsMt1jsX-2B4nooCurZNkM7uz5KFPRRMt5ai6MsUzb5MFZNNplgp77eKlBjwCIV6cKzbkAvQYI2MJIlZ6OLcpRc6e4cfSd8hQmm8DJgF6luvXmxClnzpuxJU58P-2BMqK2VWAEgyGaLfW8jmSuLyVD9N-2B50p1et2TjGB-2FEgWQtwWCRR3cBAcuUA-2FeyvqrAc3hlUf8Vq6qEV8TqFb-2BIWkQTFYab58w-3D-3D
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