Construction Job Openings Rise by 25,000 in April as Layoffs Hit Four-Year Low
According to Construction Executive, the construction industry recorded 259,000 job openings at the end of April, based on an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Openings rose by 25,000 for the month and are up more than 25% over the past year. Layoffs also dropped to their lowest point since early 2022. ABC chief economist Anirban Basu cited immigration policy, a shrinking undocumented workforce, and acute trade shortages, particularly in data center construction, as key drivers. He noted that labor availability is “unlikely to improve over the short term.”
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Labor costs are not coming down. Price your bids to reflect real recruiting and retention costs, not last year’s rates.
- Trades tied to data center and tech infrastructure work face the sharpest shortages, making crew availability a schedule risk worth flagging with GCs upfront.
- Low layoff numbers mean workers aren’t returning to the market on their own. If you need to grow your crew, plan to recruit aggressively and budget the time and cost accordingly.
