Construction Job Openings Surge to Record High
The labor market continues to tighten, especially for the construction industry.
The count of open construction jobs increased to 410,000 unfilled positions in October, the highest measure in the history of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data series (going back to late 2000).
The housing market remains underbuilt and requires additional labor, lots, and lumber and building materials to add inventory.
The job openings rate in construction surged to 5.4% in October, with 410,000 open positions in the sector. This is significantly higher than the 253,000 count recorded a year ago.
Looking forward, the construction job openings rate is likely to see increased upward pressure as both the residential and nonresidential construction sectors trend higher. Attracting skilled labor will remain a key objective for construction firms in the coming quarters and will become more challenging as the labor market strengthens and the unemployment rate declines.
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy
Oct 31, 2025
NAHB's Monthly Update Features Talking Points on Legislative PrioritiesThe update provides the latest messaging framework to help members articulate housing priorities and latest news related to the recent legislative proposals and the government shutdown.
Membership
Oct 31, 2025
HBA Staff Appreciation Week Kicks OffFrom Nov. 3-7, NAHB will celebrate HBA Staff Appreciation Week, an annual event that recognizes the individuals who serve the more than 650 home builders associations that make up NAHB.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Oct 30, 2025
Which Local Markets Track National Trends the Most: 2024 Single-Family MAIThe National Association of Home Builders developed the Single-Family Market Association Index (MAI) to measure how closely single-family building permits in metro areas follow national patterns. By comparing local and national trends, the MAI helps industry leaders and forecasters better understand and predict housing market activity.
Economics
Oct 29, 2025
The Fed Cuts amid Partly Cloudy ConditionsWith the government shutdown limiting the quantity of economic data available to markets and policymakers, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) enacted a widely anticipated 25 basis point cut for the short-term federal funds rate.
Economics
Oct 28, 2025
Home Price Growth SlowsHome prices in August grew at the lowest annual rate in over two years, according to the recent release of the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index (seasonally adjusted – SA).