Report: Construction job openings up once again

The construction industry had 412,000 job openings in February, according to an Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 129,000 from January to February, but are down 9,000 from the same time last year.

“These data confirm the sharp decline in construction job openings in January was a statistical aberration,” says Anirban Basu, ABC’s chief economist. “Demand for construction workers remains elevated despite fears of recession, slow implementation of America’s infrastructure rebuilding program, higher interest rates and growing concerns regarding the availability of project financing in light of recent bank failures.

“This also reinforces the findings from ABC’s latest Construction Confidence Index, which indicates that the typical nonresidential construction firm remains in growth mode, expecting sales, employment and even profit margins to expand over the next six months,” Basu adds. “In the face of numerous headwinds, the resilience of the U.S. nonresidential construction industry remains remarkable.”