ABC: Openings High, Hiring Low in November

To no one's surprise, there is still a construction labor shortage.

The construction industry had 292,000 job openings on the last day of November, according to an ABC analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 90,000 during the month and are up by 15,000 from the same time last year.

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“Construction job openings rose meaningfully in November and were up on a year-over-year basis for the first time since July,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “At the same time, the industrywide pace of layoffs plunged to the lowest level of 2025, matching the second-lowest rate ever recorded.

“While these dynamics suggest that demand for construction workers accelerated in November, hiring remains slower than at any point on record prior to 2020,” said Basu.