The construction industry recorded 305,000 job openings on the last day of June, according to a new analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting.
Industry job openings increased by 14,000 compared to May and were up by 81,000 from the same time last year.
“Interpreting these data is often challenging,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “One could take these figures at face value and conclude that construction is thriving and driving demand for workers higher. Indeed, ABC’s Construction Confidence Indicator shows that the average contractor expects rising revenues and employment over the next six months.
“But June’s construction spending report indicates that overall residential and nonresidential construction spending continues to decline,” he continued. “Accordingly, one might look for other explanations for rising construction job openings, including demographic considerations.
“Many contractors view a structural shortfall of skilled labor as their primary challenge because many highly experienced, productive workers are retiring,” said Basu. “It is conceivable that these workers are being replaced with less skilled and productive workers, thereby requiring a few workers to be replaced by many.
“Alternatively, the data may not be capturing all that transpires,” he noted. “It may be that certain people who had been working in construction were doing so without proper documentation. At least some of these workers are no longer available at jobsites, inducing faster hiring and expanding job openings as contractors work to replace them.”
Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.
About Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and 24,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members offer a robust employee value proposition, develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work.
 Chief Economist Anirban Basu explains that while the construction industry gained 14,000 jobs in June, that doesn't capture the full employment picture for the sector.){kind=link}