Construction sees 90,000 more job openings in November

There were 90,000 more construction job openings in November than in the previous month, an analysis by the Associated Builders and Contractors showed. Despite signs of accelerated demand, an association economist said hiring is still slower than before 2020.

The construction industry had 292,000 job openings at the end of November compared to 213,000 job openings in October, an ABC analysis of the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed. Job openings were up by 15,000 over last year.

“Construction job openings rose meaningfully in November and were up on a year-over-year basis for the first time since July,” said Anirban Basu, the chief economist at ABC, in a statement. “At the same time, the industrywide pace of layoffs plunged to the lowest level of 2025, matching the second-lowest rate ever recorded.”

Construction jobs that were open were characterized as extraordinarily low in October, while hiring fell sharply in that month. In September, job openings increased by 19,000 and broke a three-month streak of consecutive decline.

“While these dynamics suggest that demand for construction workers accelerated in November, hiring remains slower than any point on record prior to 2020,” Basu said.

Contractors remained upbeat about expanding their staffing levels during the first half of 2026, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index. However, that optimism could be tempered by the sluggish pace of hiring, Basu added.

Total construction starts fell 20.5% from October to November at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, the Dodge Construction Network reported in late December. Nonresidential starts fell by 13.4%, residential starts increased 13.3% and nonbuilding starts dropped 43.7% over the month. On a year-to-date basis through November, total construction starts were up 5.1% from last year, the network reported.