Construction Job Openings Rise in September
Eye On Housing | National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog
November 3, 2026
By Robert Dietz
The number of open positions in the construction sector increased in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). While the overall level of open jobs is down from three years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing, certain subsectors like data center construction are driving demand for workers. Additionally, increasing immigration enforcement actions are affecting worker availability, pushing up the number of open positions.
The September reading for open jobs in the overall economy rose to 7.5 million, higher than the previous year (7.17 million). The data reveals a rise in job openings across many sectors of the U.S. economy as economic growth remains robust.
In September, the number of open construction sector jobs climbed from 262,000 in August to 298,000. This is higher than the figure from a year ago (206,000). The trend shows a declining rate for construction job openings from 2023 to 2025 post-monetary policy tightening by the Fed, followed by a recent upswing in open positions, with notable volatility month-to-month.
While home building employment has declined over the last year, other construction sectors, such as data center construction, have expanded. The industry also faces challenges from no-shows at work sites due to immigration enforcement.
The construction job openings rate reached 3.4% in September, up from 2.4% a year ago. The hiring rate increased to 4.3% in September, up from 4.1% previously. The layoff rate in construction was 1.6% in September, while the quits rate rose significantly to 2.4% in September, with 198,000 quits compared to 127,000 a year ago.