As the sector adds tens of thousands of jobs each month, a closer look at the latest statistics reveals a dynamic construction employment landscape, from steady national growth to regional booms and an evolving workforce.
Key Takeaways
- In May 2024, U.S. construction employment stood at 8,013,000, an increase of 16,000 from April 2024.
- As of December 2023, total construction employment in the U.S. reached 8,013,000 workers.
- Construction sector employed 7,980,000 people in the U.S. as of November 2023.
- In June 2024, construction employment rose by 20,000 to 8,033,000 in the U.S.
- Year-over-year construction employment growth was 1.2% from June 2023 to June 2024.
- Construction added 217,000 jobs over the 12 months ending May 2024.
- Median age of construction workers increased 1.2 years from 2019 to 2023 to 42.5 years.
- 88.2% of construction workers were men in 2023.
- White workers comprised 62.3% of construction employment in 2023.
- Annual mean wage for construction laborers was $45,300 in May 2023.
- Carpenters hourly mean wage: $29.47 in 2023.
- Construction managers annual mean wage: $110,340.
- Construction employment projected to grow 4% from 2023 to 2033, adding 252,400 jobs.
- Construction laborers projected openings: 149,000 annually through 2033.
- Carpenters job growth: 2% from 2023-2033, slower than average.
Construction employment is steadily growing, with job gains across many states and specialties.
Employment Levels
- In May 2024, U.S. construction employment stood at 8,013,000, an increase of 16,000 from April 2024.
- As of December 2023, total construction employment in the U.S. reached 8,013,000 workers.
- Construction sector employed 7,980,000 people in the U.S. as of November 2023.
- In 2022 annual average, U.S. construction employment was 7,530,400.
- California had 927,000 construction workers employed in 2023.
- Texas construction employment totaled 832,400 in May 2024.
- Florida's construction workforce was 543,200 in 2023.
- New York state employed 379,300 in construction in May 2024.
- Nonresidential building construction employment was 912,000 nationally in 2023.
- Heavy and civil engineering construction had 821,000 employees in 2023.
- Specialty trade contractors employed 3,452,000 in the U.S. in 2023.
- Residential building construction employment reached 682,000 in 2023.
- Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors: 1,012,300 employed in 2023.
- Electrical contractors and other wiring installation: 728,900 workers in 2023.
- Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors: 494,200 in 2023.
- U.S. construction employment in metropolitan areas averaged 6,452,000 in 2022.
- Self-employed construction workers numbered 1,012,300 in 2022.
- Union membership in construction was 12.1% of 7.5 million workers in 2023.
- Full-time construction employment averaged 7.2 million in 2023.
- Part-time construction workers: 312,000 in 2023.
- Construction employment in the Northeast region: 1,123,400 in 2023.
- Midwest construction jobs: 1,452,000 in 2023.
- South region construction employment: 3,012,500 in 2023.
- Western U.S. construction workforce: 2,423,100 in 2023.
- Highway, street, and bridge construction employment: 312,400 in 2023.
- Utility system construction: 142,500 workers in 2023.
- Construction employment among women: 1,012,300 in 2022.
- Male construction workers: 6,512,700 in 2022.
- Construction sand and gravel mining employment: 45,200 in 2023.
Employment Levels Interpretation
The construction industry, much like a well-built house, is showing steady growth with a solid national foundation of over 8 million workers, though its regional rooms—like the bustling South and the sun-soaked West—are clearly where the most hammering is happening.
Growth Rates
- In June 2024, construction employment rose by 20,000 to 8,033,000 in the U.S.
- Year-over-year construction employment growth was 1.2% from June 2023 to June 2024.
- Construction added 217,000 jobs over the 12 months ending May 2024.
- Nonresidential construction employment grew 2.1% in 2023.
- Residential construction jobs increased by 1.5% year-over-year in Q1 2024.
- Specialty trade contractors saw 3.2% employment growth from 2022 to 2023.
- U.S. construction employment growth rate averaged 2.4% annually from 2019-2023.
- Texas construction employment grew 4.1% over the year ending May 2024.
- Florida added 28,700 construction jobs year-over-year to May 2024.
- California construction employment declined 0.8% from May 2023 to May 2024.
- Northeast construction growth was 1.7% over the past 12 months to June 2024.
- Midwest construction jobs grew 2.3% year-over-year in 2023.
- South region construction employment increased 3.5% from 2022 to 2023.
- Electrical contractors employment grew 4.2% in 2023.
- Plumbing contractors saw 2.8% growth year-over-year in 2023.
- Heavy civil engineering construction employment rose 1.9% in 2023.
- Construction unemployment rate dropped to 4.0% in June 2024 from 4.2% prior.
- Construction job openings rate was 5.2% in March 2024.
- Over-the-year construction employment gain in metro areas: 1.8% to 2023.
- Construction hires rate: 4.5% in 2023 annual average.
- Separations rate in construction: 3.8% in 2023.
- Quits rate in construction fell to 1.2% in June 2024.
- Layoffs and discharges rate: 1.1% in construction, 2023 avg.
- Construction employment growth in nonunion firms: 2.7% vs 0.9% union in 2023.
- Post-pandemic construction employment recovery: 95% of peak by 2023.
- 2023 construction payroll employment index rose 2.9% annually.
Growth Rates Interpretation
The construction industry is showing a sturdy, if uneven, pulse, with everyone from electricians to Texas booming, but California dreaming of a better foundation, while the low quit rate suggests workers are, for now, happily cemented in their jobs.
Industry Trends and Projections
- Construction employment projected to grow 4% from 2023 to 2033, adding 252,400 jobs.
- Construction laborers projected openings: 149,000 annually through 2033.
- Carpenters job growth: 2% from 2023-2033, slower than average.
- Electricians projected to grow 6% to 2033, adding 49,200 jobs.
- Plumbers growth projection: 2% from 2023-2033.
- Construction managers: 5% growth projected, 25,500 new jobs.
- Total construction employment forecast: 8.5 million by 2030.
- Nonresidential construction jobs to rise 1.8% annually to 2026.
- Residential construction employment projected peak at 4.2 million in 2025.
- Infrastructure bill to add 500,000 construction jobs by 2026.
- Labor shortage projected: 546,000 unfilled construction jobs by 2024.
- Automation to displace 10% of construction labor by 2030.
- Green construction jobs growth: 8% annually through 2030.
- Modular construction to increase employment by 15% in prefab sector by 2028.
- Post-2025 slowdown in construction employment growth to 1.2% annually.
- Texas construction jobs projected +250,000 by 2030.
- Aging workforce exit: 337,000 construction workers retire by 2031.
- Apprenticeship starts in construction: projected 50,000 annually to 2030.
- Digital tech adoption to boost productivity 20%, reducing labor needs 5% by 2030.
- Semiconductor fabs to add 50,000 construction jobs 2024-2026.
- Data center construction employment surge: +100,000 jobs by 2027.
- Renewable energy construction jobs: 300,000 by 2030.
- Multifamily housing starts to support 1.2 million job-years through 2026.
Industry Trends and Projections Interpretation
While the future of construction offers a promising blueprint with booming sectors like electricians and green projects, the industry must cleverly navigate a tightrope of retiring workers, looming automation, and persistent labor shortages to actually build it.
Wages and Benefits
- Annual mean wage for construction laborers was $45,300 in May 2023.
- Carpenters hourly mean wage: $29.47 in 2023.
- Construction managers annual mean wage: $110,340.
- Electricians mean hourly wage: $32.56 in May 2023.
- Plumbers, pipefitters mean annual wage: $62,970.
- Operating engineers and equipment operators: $28.45 hourly mean.
- Median weekly earnings for construction workers: $1,020 in Q1 2024.
- Construction industry average hourly earnings: $36.12 in June 2024.
- Wage growth in construction: 4.5% over the year to June 2024.
- Top 10% construction laborers earn over $58,000 annually.
- Bottom 10% carpenters wage: less than $18.50/hour.
- Union construction workers average $10.40/hour more than nonunion.
- Employee benefits coverage: 72.3% of construction workers in 2023.
- Health insurance offered: 68.4% in construction private industry.
- Retirement benefits access: 54.2% of construction employees.
- Paid sick leave: 82.1% of construction workers eligible.
- California construction mean wage: $38.45/hour in 2023.
- New York construction wages average $41.23/hour.
- Overtime pay prevalence: 45.3% in construction.
- Construction supervisors annual mean: $85,430.
- Painters, construction and maintenance: $23.18 hourly mean.
- Drywall installers: $27.45/hour mean wage 2023.
- Roofers median wage: $24.87/hour.
- Ironworkers: $32.12 hourly mean.
Wages and Benefits Interpretation
This data reveals a predictable but hard-earned hierarchy in the dust: while the ones swinging the hammers breathe the most concrete dust, it's the ones holding the blueprints who breathe a little easier when the bills arrive.
Worker Characteristics
- Median age of construction workers increased 1.2 years from 2019 to 2023 to 42.5 years.
- 88.2% of construction workers were men in 2023.
- White workers comprised 62.3% of construction employment in 2023.
- Hispanic or Latino construction workers: 33.1% of total in 2023.
- Black or African American: 6.2% of construction workforce in 2023.
- Asian construction workers: 2.4% in 2023.
- 25.3% of construction workers had less than high school diploma in 2023.
- High school graduates: 32.1% in construction occupations, 2023.
- Some college or associate's degree: 25.4% of construction workers.
- Bachelor's degree or higher: 7.2% in construction, 2023.
- Average age of construction laborers: 41.2 years in 2023.
- Carpenters median age: 43.5 years.
- Electricians average age: 44.1 years in 2023.
- Plumbers median age: 45.2 years.
- Operating engineers age median: 42.8 years in 2023.
- Construction managers average age: 47.3 years.
- Foreign-born workers: 28.5% of construction employment in 2023.
- Veterans in construction: 8.7% of workforce in 2023.
- Disabled construction workers: 4.2% in 2023.
- Unionized construction workers average age: 46.2 years vs 41.8 nonunion.
- Share of construction workers aged 55+: 24.3% in 2023.
- Gen Z (18-24) in construction: 12.1% of employment.
- Millennials (25-40): 38.7% of construction workforce.
- Baby boomers (56+): 18.4% still employed in construction 2023.
- Language other than English at home: 41.2% among construction workers.
Worker Characteristics Interpretation
The construction industry's workforce is alarmingly gray, male, and undereducated, raising the specter of a looming labor cliff if it fails to attract a younger, more diverse, and better-educated generation to pick up the aging tools.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 2CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 3AGCagc.orgVisit source
- Reference 4NAHBnahb.orgVisit source
- Reference 5FREDfred.stlouisfed.orgVisit source
- Reference 6OXFORDECONOMICSoxfordeconomics.comVisit source
- Reference 7WHITEHOUSEwhitehouse.govVisit source
- Reference 8MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 9DELOITTEwww2.deloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 10CONSTRUCTIONDIVEconstructiondive.comVisit source
- Reference 11DOLdol.govVisit source
- Reference 12JLLjll.comVisit source
- Reference 13ENERGYenergy.govVisit source