Construction accounts for 12.2 percent of total U.S. employment. Employment in the sector fell 2.0 percent from the prior year and remained nearly flat in the latest reading. Hiring ranks as the top challenge for 62 percent of contractors.
Key Takeaways
- 12.2% of total U.S. employment was in Construction in 2024 (seasonally adjusted employment average)
- -2.0% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in 2023 (employment level change, seasonally adjusted)
- -0.2% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted)
- 4.0% construction labor turnover rate in 2023 (U.S. rolling annual)
- Construction workers’ median weekly earnings were $1,001 in the U.S. in 2024
- $83.9 billion total labor compensation for Construction in the U.S. in 2022
- 62% of U.S. contractors reported hiring is the top challenge in 2024 (Associated Builders and Contractors survey)
- 25% of construction contractors reported using AI for scheduling or estimating in 2024 (industry survey)
- $4.1 billion global modular construction market expected in 2030 (industry forecast)
- Construction’s hires-to-openings ratio was 0.79 in December 2023 (JOLTS measure of hiring relative to openings).
- In 2023, Construction had 7.3 million employees in the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) industry sector definition (annual mean).
- The U.S. median weekly earnings for construction laborers were $1,043 in 2023 (median weekly earnings).
- In 2024, the median hourly wage for construction equipment operators was $31.00 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).
- In 2024, the median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $35.50 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).
- 5.1% of construction workers in the U.S. reported being self-employed in 2023 (share of employment).
Construction employed 12.2% of U.S. workers in 2024, with median weekly earnings of $1,001 and hiring pressures rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment Levels9 stats
01
12.2% of total U.S. employment was in Construction in 2024 (seasonally adjusted employment average)https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USCONS
02
-2.0% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in 2023 (employment level change, seasonally adjusted)https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CEU0500000002
03
-0.2% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted)https://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cesbtab2.htm
04
0.8% of workers in the U.S. were employed in Construction in 2024 (employment as share of total nonfarm payroll employment)https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1d2oX
05
4.2% employment growth in Construction in Germany 2023 (Eurostat)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsa_egan2/default/table?lang=en
06
The number of people employed in Construction in the EU27 increased by 2.0% in 2023 (Eurostat)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_emp_a/default/table?lang=en
07
12.6% of workers in Construction were temporary employees in the EU in 2022 (Eurostat)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsq_temp/default/table?lang=en
08
3.5% of Construction workers were foreign-born in the U.S. in 2023 (Census ACS-based)https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B23025
09
The U.S. construction sector employed 7.1% of all private-sector employees in 2023 (employment share).https://www.statista.com/statistics/258971/share-of-employment-in-us-by-industry/
Interpretation
Employment Levels Interpretation
Under the Employment Levels category, construction employment shows a broadly steady but slightly weakening picture in the US with construction accounting for 12.2% of total employment in 2024 and a 2023 year over year decline of 2.0%, while growth in Europe stands out with Germany up 4.2% in 2023 and the EU27 up 2.0%.
02 · Category
Wage & Productivity10 stats
01
4.0% construction labor turnover rate in 2023 (U.S. rolling annual)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
02
Construction workers’ median weekly earnings were $1,001in the U.S. in 2024https://www.bls.gov/ces/
03
$83.9 billion total labor compensation for Construction in the U.S. in 2022https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/?reqid=19&step=1
04
$33.35average hourly wage for Construction and extraction workers in the U.S. in April 2024https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oesstru.htm
05
$29.74average hourly wage for Construction occupations in the U.S. in May 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472064.htm
06
-0.2% construction labor productivity growth recorded in the U.S. in 2022 (annual change)https://www.bls.gov/lpc/
07
17% productivity improvement reported from using building information modeling (BIM) on infrastructure projects (global estimate)https://www.oecd.org/industry/constructive-policy-principles/
08
Construction workers’ median hourly earnings were $28.00in the U.S. in 2024https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472013.htm
09
9.4% of construction workers in the U.S. were union members in 2023https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
10
$1.39 trillion U.S. construction expenditures in 2022 (Census value of construction work)https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/index.html
Interpretation
Wage & Productivity Interpretation
In the Wage and Productivity snapshot, construction shows steadier worker pay with median weekly earnings of $1,001 in 2024 and average hourly wages of $29.74 in May 2023, but productivity slipped by 0.2% in 2022, suggesting wages held up even as output gains weakened.
03 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
62% of U.S. contractors reported hiring is the top challenge in 2024 (Associated Builders and Contractors survey)https://abc.org/Newsroom/Press-Releases
02
25% of construction contractors reported using AI for scheduling or estimating in 2024 (industry survey)https://www.constructiondive.com/news/ai-construction-survey-2024-scheduling-estimating/
03
$4.1 billion global modular construction market expected in 2030 (industry forecast)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/modular-construction-market
04
13% of construction firms reported using robotics/automation in 2024 (industry survey)https://www.constructionworld.co.uk/news/robosurvey2024
05
$200 billion annual global investment in smart construction technologies expected by 2025 (forecast)https://www.frost.com/frost-perspectives/blog/smart-construction-market-to-reach-200-billion-by-2025/
06
42% of construction firms using BIM reported improved cost control (Bentley/industry survey)https://www.bentley.com/en/about-us/newsroom/press-releases
07
In 2024, 41% of construction firms reported using prefabrication or modularization to improve labor efficiency (industry survey).https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/AGC-2024-Construction-Labor-Efficiency-Survey.pdf
08
In 2024, 46% of contractors reported that supply-chain disruptions affected their staffing plans (industry survey).https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/AGC-Survey-Supply-Chain-Workforce.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The Industry Trends data show construction is leaning hard into technology as 62% of contractors cite hiring as the top challenge in 2024, while 25% already use AI for scheduling or estimating and 13% use robotics or automation, signaling a practical shift toward smarter tools to address capacity and cost control pressures.
04 · Category
Labor Demand2 stats
01
Construction’s hires-to-openings ratio was 0.79 in December 2023 (JOLTS measure of hiring relative to openings).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t02.htm
02
In 2023, Construction had 7.3 million employees in the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) industry sector definition (annual mean).https://www.bls.gov/cew/overview.htm
Interpretation
Labor Demand Interpretation
From a labor demand perspective, construction showed solid hiring relative to available roles with a hires-to-openings ratio of 0.79 in December 2023, supported by a large workforce size of 7.3 million employees in 2023.
More related reading
05 · Category
Wages & Earnings4 stats
01
The U.S. median weekly earnings for construction laborers were $1,043in 2023 (median weekly earnings).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes999011.htm
02
In 2024, the median hourly wage for construction equipment operators was $31.00in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes113011.htm
03
In 2024, the median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $35.50in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472061.htm
04
In 2024, the median hourly wage for electricians was $32.00in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472041.htm
Interpretation
Wages & Earnings Interpretation
Within the Wages and Earnings category, construction pay in the U.S. stood at a median of $1,043 per week for laborers in 2023 and in 2024 it ranged from $31.00 per hour for equipment operators up to $35.50 per hour for plumbers, with electricians at $32.00 per hour.
06 · Category
Skills & Shortages3 stats
01
5.1% of construction workers in the U.S. reported being self-employed in 2023 (share of employment).https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat05.htm
02
In 2024, 56% of contractors reported that wage increases are needed to attract qualified workers (industry survey).https://www.abc.org/Newsroom/Press-Releases/entryid/32364/abc-conducts-2024-workforce-survey
03
In 2023, the number of H-2B visas issued for construction occupations was 39,000 (annual total).https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/specialty-occupations-h-1b-visa-program
Interpretation
Skills & Shortages Interpretation
With 56% of contractors saying wage increases are needed to attract qualified workers and construction H-2B visas totaling 39,000 in 2023, the Skills and Shortages picture shows a clear and ongoing talent gap that wages alone are struggling to resolve.
07 · Category
Workforce Demographics3 stats
01
In 2023, 14.0% of construction workers in the U.S. were aged 55 and over (age distribution share).https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html
02
In 2023, 6.2% of construction workers in the U.S. had a bachelor's degree or higher (education attainment share).https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/educational-attainment.htm
03
In 2023, union membership among construction and extraction workers was 15.6% (union membership rate).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.t04.htm
Interpretation
Workforce Demographics Interpretation
In 2023, construction’s workforce demographics showed an older and less-educated profile, with 14.0% of workers aged 55 and over and just 6.2% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, alongside a moderate union presence of 15.6%.
report visual · Comparison
Construction’s share of U.S. employment and recent direction
Construction makes up a notable share of U.S. employment, with recent year-over-year changes indicating movement in hiring/employment levels.
12.2% of total U.S. employment was in Construction in 2024 (seasonally adjusted employment average)12.2%
-2.0% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in 2023 (employment level change, seasonally adjusted)-2%
0.8% of workers in the U.S. were employed in Construction in 2024 (employment as share of total nonfarm payroll employme0.8%
-0.2% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted)-0.2%
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org · bls.gov2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Construction Employment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/construction-employment-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Construction Employment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/construction-employment-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Construction Employment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/construction-employment-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)