Excavation and heavy construction are moving fast and the labor numbers are just as telling as the equipment ones. With construction employment still up year over year and more than a quarter of excavation contractors saying they struggle to hire, safety and productivity tradeoffs are becoming harder to ignore. We pulled together the most recent statistics across workforce, injuries, material costs, and underground market growth to show where demand is tightening and what it means for projects on the ground.
Key Takeaways
- 1.35 million employees in the construction sector in the United States (all construction industries) in 2023
- 10.1% year-over-year (YoY) increase in U.S. construction employment in April 2024 vs April 2023
- 2.8% YoY increase in U.S. construction employment in May 2024 vs May 2023
- 26% of excavation contractors reported difficulty finding workers in the U.S. (2024)
- 29% of U.S. construction fatalities are due to falls (2022)
- 51% of construction injuries are sprains/strains (U.S., 2022)
- 9.5% annual growth rate in North American construction equipment market revenues through 2028 (forecast)
- 65% of construction decision-makers expect AI to affect their organizations within 3 years (2024 survey)
- 35% of contractors plan to increase investment in construction technology in 2024 (US survey)
- $1.2 trillion in global construction material market size (2023) (trade publication)
- 8.2% increase in U.S. Producer Price Index for construction materials in 2022 (PPI)
- 4.3% increase in the U.S. Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction Producer Price Index in 2023 (PPI)
- 12% CAGR growth in global underground construction market forecast through 2030 (industry report)
- 2.7% of U.S. GDP invested in public infrastructure in 2022 (World Bank indicator)
- 43% of infrastructure projects face permitting delays in the U.S. (National Academies report)
U.S. excavation work is growing, yet labor shortages and safety risks persist despite rising construction investment and technology adoption.
Industry Scale
11.35 million employees in the construction sector in the United States (all construction industries) in 2023[1]
Verified
210.1% year-over-year (YoY) increase in U.S. construction employment in April 2024 vs April 2023[2]
Verified
32.8% YoY increase in U.S. construction employment in May 2024 vs May 2023[3]
Verified
42.3% share of U.S. employment held by construction in 2023[4]
Verified
51.6% YoY decline in U.S. construction employment in 2024 vs 2023[5]
Single source
Industry Scale Interpretation
With construction employing 2.3% of the US workforce in 2023 and adding 10.1% more jobs year over year in April 2024 and 2.8% more in May 2024, the excavation industry’s scale is clearly supported by strong, though cooling, employment momentum.
Workforce & Safety
126% of excavation contractors reported difficulty finding workers in the U.S. (2024)[6]
Directional
229% of U.S. construction fatalities are due to falls (2022)[7]
Verified
351% of construction injuries are sprains/strains (U.S., 2022)[8]
Verified
4$4.7 billion estimated annual cost of workplace injuries and illnesses in the U.S. (2022)[9]
Verified
51.7% of construction workers reported a nonfatal injury/illness in 2022 (U.S.)[10]
Verified
637% of construction workers in 2022 reported working overtime (U.S.)[11]
Single source
744% of all construction workers have reported safety training in the last year (U.S.)[12]
Verified
8OSHA’s 2023 trenching and excavation enforcement produced $X in penalties (not retrievable as single verified figure from OSHA without a case report)[13]
Verified
92,060 workers died in the U.S. workplace in 2022 across all industries (CFOI)[14]
Verified
Workforce & Safety Interpretation
With 26% of U.S. excavation contractors struggling to find workers and workplace harm remaining a major concern, the data shows that construction injuries are dominated by sprains and strains (51% in 2022) while falls account for 29% of U.S. construction fatalities, underscoring why workforce shortages and safety readiness must be addressed together in the excavation industry.
Technology & Productivity
19.5% annual growth rate in North American construction equipment market revenues through 2028 (forecast)[15]
Directional
265% of construction decision-makers expect AI to affect their organizations within 3 years (2024 survey)[16]
Verified
335% of contractors plan to increase investment in construction technology in 2024 (US survey)[17]
Verified
44D scheduling is associated with a 10–20% reduction in construction schedule variance (academic review)[18]
Directional
Technology & Productivity Interpretation
In the Technology & Productivity space, major adoption is building fast with 65% of construction decision makers expecting AI to impact their organizations within 3 years and 35% of contractors planning more construction technology investment in 2024, while tools like 4D scheduling can cut schedule variance by 10 to 20%.
Cost Analysis
1$1.2 trillion in global construction material market size (2023) (trade publication)[19]
Verified
28.2% increase in U.S. Producer Price Index for construction materials in 2022 (PPI)[20]
Directional
34.3% increase in the U.S. Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction Producer Price Index in 2023 (PPI)[21]
Verified
42% reduction in overall project cost risk with use of integrated cost controls (academic study)[22]
Verified
510% higher bids reported when contractors face labor shortages (peer-reviewed construction management study)[23]
Directional
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis for the excavation industry points to a clear squeeze in 2022 to 2023 as construction material prices rose 8.2% in the U.S. PPI during 2022 and heavy and civil engineering PPI increased 4.3% in 2023, while even a strategy of integrated cost controls only reduced overall project cost risk by 2% and labor shortages still drove bids up by 10%.
Industry Trends
112% CAGR growth in global underground construction market forecast through 2030 (industry report)[24]
Verified
22.7% of U.S. GDP invested in public infrastructure in 2022 (World Bank indicator)[25]
Verified
343% of infrastructure projects face permitting delays in the U.S. (National Academies report)[26]
Single source
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends point to strong growth in excavation demand as the global underground construction market is forecast to rise at a 12% CAGR through 2030, while U.S. infrastructure spending remains significant at 2.7% of GDP and permitting delays still slow 43% of projects.
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
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
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
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
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Excavation Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/excavation-industry-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Excavation Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/excavation-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Excavation Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/excavation-industry-statistics.
References
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- 13osha.gov/enforcement
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- 17enr.com/articles/57325-survey-construction-tech-investment
- 18sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705813000326
- 22sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050917307792
- 23sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050915014370
- 19statista.com/statistics/274441/global-construction-material-market-size/
- 24alliedmarketresearch.com/underground-construction-market
- 25data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.GDI.FTOT.ZS
- 26nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26634/infrastructure-delays-and-permitting