Construction Employment Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Construction Employment Statistics

Construction still employs just 0.8% of U.S. workers yet accounts for 12.2% of all employment, and job growth is mixed with labor turnover at 4.0% and January 2024 employment down 0.2%. Track what is driving hiring pressures too, from 62% of contractors flagging labor as the biggest challenge to wages like $35.50 an hour for plumbers and $1,001 in median weekly earnings.

39 statistics39 sources7 sections6 min readUpdated 14 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

12.2% of total U.S. employment was in Construction in 2024 (seasonally adjusted employment average)

Statistic 2

-2.0% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in 2023 (employment level change, seasonally adjusted)

Statistic 3

-0.2% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted)

Statistic 4

0.8% of workers in the U.S. were employed in Construction in 2024 (employment as share of total nonfarm payroll employment)

Statistic 5

4.2% employment growth in Construction in Germany 2023 (Eurostat)

Statistic 6

The number of people employed in Construction in the EU27 increased by 2.0% in 2023 (Eurostat)

Statistic 7

12.6% of workers in Construction were temporary employees in the EU in 2022 (Eurostat)

Statistic 8

3.5% of Construction workers were foreign-born in the U.S. in 2023 (Census ACS-based)

Statistic 9

The U.S. construction sector employed 7.1% of all private-sector employees in 2023 (employment share).

Statistic 10

4.0% construction labor turnover rate in 2023 (U.S. rolling annual)

Statistic 11

Construction workers’ median weekly earnings were $1,001 in the U.S. in 2024

Statistic 12

$83.9 billion total labor compensation for Construction in the U.S. in 2022

Statistic 13

$33.35 average hourly wage for Construction and extraction workers in the U.S. in April 2024

Statistic 14

$29.74 average hourly wage for Construction occupations in the U.S. in May 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS)

Statistic 15

-0.2% construction labor productivity growth recorded in the U.S. in 2022 (annual change)

Statistic 16

17% productivity improvement reported from using building information modeling (BIM) on infrastructure projects (global estimate)

Statistic 17

Construction workers’ median hourly earnings were $28.00 in the U.S. in 2024

Statistic 18

9.4% of construction workers in the U.S. were union members in 2023

Statistic 19

$1.39 trillion U.S. construction expenditures in 2022 (Census value of construction work)

Statistic 20

62% of U.S. contractors reported hiring is the top challenge in 2024 (Associated Builders and Contractors survey)

Statistic 21

25% of construction contractors reported using AI for scheduling or estimating in 2024 (industry survey)

Statistic 22

$4.1 billion global modular construction market expected in 2030 (industry forecast)

Statistic 23

13% of construction firms reported using robotics/automation in 2024 (industry survey)

Statistic 24

$200 billion annual global investment in smart construction technologies expected by 2025 (forecast)

Statistic 25

42% of construction firms using BIM reported improved cost control (Bentley/industry survey)

Statistic 26

In 2024, 41% of construction firms reported using prefabrication or modularization to improve labor efficiency (industry survey).

Statistic 27

In 2024, 46% of contractors reported that supply-chain disruptions affected their staffing plans (industry survey).

Statistic 28

Construction’s hires-to-openings ratio was 0.79 in December 2023 (JOLTS measure of hiring relative to openings).

Statistic 29

In 2023, Construction had 7.3 million employees in the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) industry sector definition (annual mean).

Statistic 30

The U.S. median weekly earnings for construction laborers were $1,043 in 2023 (median weekly earnings).

Statistic 31

In 2024, the median hourly wage for construction equipment operators was $31.00 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).

Statistic 32

In 2024, the median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $35.50 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).

Statistic 33

In 2024, the median hourly wage for electricians was $32.00 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).

Statistic 34

5.1% of construction workers in the U.S. reported being self-employed in 2023 (share of employment).

Statistic 35

In 2024, 56% of contractors reported that wage increases are needed to attract qualified workers (industry survey).

Statistic 36

In 2023, the number of H-2B visas issued for construction occupations was 39,000 (annual total).

Statistic 37

In 2023, 14.0% of construction workers in the U.S. were aged 55 and over (age distribution share).

Statistic 38

In 2023, 6.2% of construction workers in the U.S. had a bachelor's degree or higher (education attainment share).

Statistic 39

In 2023, union membership among construction and extraction workers was 15.6% (union membership rate).

Sources
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Christopher Morgan

Written by Christopher Morgan·Edited by Isabelle Moreau·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Construction is still a major piece of the U.S. job market, but the details are what stand out for 2025 planning. With construction workers facing a 12.2% share of total employment and a 4.0% labor turnover rate in 2023, the sector keeps moving while hiring gets harder. Add fast rising tools like AI and prefabrication and you get a clear tension between pay and retention, productivity gains, and staffing pressure across the latest employment measures.

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

Employment Levels

112.2% of total U.S. employment was in Construction in 2024 (seasonally adjusted employment average)[1]
Directional
2-2.0% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in 2023 (employment level change, seasonally adjusted)[2]
Verified
3-0.2% year-over-year change in U.S. Construction employment in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted)[3]
Verified
40.8% of workers in the U.S. were employed in Construction in 2024 (employment as share of total nonfarm payroll employment)[4]
Verified
54.2% employment growth in Construction in Germany 2023 (Eurostat)[5]
Verified
6The number of people employed in Construction in the EU27 increased by 2.0% in 2023 (Eurostat)[6]
Verified
712.6% of workers in Construction were temporary employees in the EU in 2022 (Eurostat)[7]
Verified
83.5% of Construction workers were foreign-born in the U.S. in 2023 (Census ACS-based)[8]
Verified
9The U.S. construction sector employed 7.1% of all private-sector employees in 2023 (employment share).[9]
Directional

Employment Levels Interpretation

In the Employment Levels picture, construction remains a sizable part of the economy, with 12.2% of total U.S. employment in 2024, while growth is muted as U.S. construction employment fell 2.0% year over year in 2023 and was nearly flat in January 2024 with a -0.2% change.

More related reading

Wage & Productivity

14.0% construction labor turnover rate in 2023 (U.S. rolling annual)[10]
Verified
2Construction workers’ median weekly earnings were $1,001 in the U.S. in 2024[11]
Verified
3$83.9 billion total labor compensation for Construction in the U.S. in 2022[12]
Verified
4$33.35 average hourly wage for Construction and extraction workers in the U.S. in April 2024[13]
Directional
5$29.74 average hourly wage for Construction occupations in the U.S. in May 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS)[14]
Verified
6-0.2% construction labor productivity growth recorded in the U.S. in 2022 (annual change)[15]
Verified
717% productivity improvement reported from using building information modeling (BIM) on infrastructure projects (global estimate)[16]
Verified
8Construction workers’ median hourly earnings were $28.00 in the U.S. in 2024[17]
Verified
99.4% of construction workers in the U.S. were union members in 2023[18]
Verified
10$1.39 trillion U.S. construction expenditures in 2022 (Census value of construction work)[19]
Verified

Wage & Productivity Interpretation

In the Wage and Productivity category, construction in the U.S. shows pay that remains high but uneven alongside flat output gains, with median weekly earnings of $1,001 in 2024 and median hourly earnings of $28.00, while labor productivity growth was -0.2% in 2022.

More related reading

Labor Demand

1Construction’s hires-to-openings ratio was 0.79 in December 2023 (JOLTS measure of hiring relative to openings).[28]
Directional
2In 2023, Construction had 7.3 million employees in the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) industry sector definition (annual mean).[29]
Verified

Labor Demand Interpretation

From a labor demand perspective, Construction sustained substantial hiring momentum in December 2023 with a hires-to-openings ratio of 0.79, while employing 7.3 million workers in 2023 according to BLS QCEW data, indicating steady demand for labor alongside a large workforce.

More related reading

Wages & Earnings

1The U.S. median weekly earnings for construction laborers were $1,043 in 2023 (median weekly earnings).[30]
Verified
2In 2024, the median hourly wage for construction equipment operators was $31.00 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).[31]
Verified
3In 2024, the median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $35.50 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).[32]
Single source
4In 2024, the median hourly wage for electricians was $32.00 in the U.S. (OEWS 2024).[33]
Verified

Wages & Earnings Interpretation

In the Wages & Earnings picture for construction, pay varies notably by trade and role, with median weekly earnings of $1,043 for laborers in 2023 and 2024 median hourly wages ranging from $31.00 for equipment operators to $35.50 for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters and $32.00 for electricians.

Skills & Shortages

15.1% of construction workers in the U.S. reported being self-employed in 2023 (share of employment).[34]
Verified
2In 2024, 56% of contractors reported that wage increases are needed to attract qualified workers (industry survey).[35]
Verified
3In 2023, the number of H-2B visas issued for construction occupations was 39,000 (annual total).[36]
Verified

Skills & Shortages Interpretation

In the Skills and Shortages landscape, the push to fill talent is clear as 56% of contractors in 2024 say wage increases are needed to attract qualified workers, alongside 39,000 H-2B visas issued for construction occupations in 2023.

More related reading

Workforce Demographics

1In 2023, 14.0% of construction workers in the U.S. were aged 55 and over (age distribution share).[37]
Single source
2In 2023, 6.2% of construction workers in the U.S. had a bachelor's degree or higher (education attainment share).[38]
Verified
3In 2023, union membership among construction and extraction workers was 15.6% (union membership rate).[39]
Verified

Workforce Demographics Interpretation

In 2023, workforce demographics in U.S. construction looked older and less highly educated, with 14.0% of workers aged 55 and over and only 6.2% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, alongside a modest 15.6% union membership rate.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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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.

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