Construction Jobs Rebounded in January
Construction jobs increased 0.5% year-over-year.
The construction industry added an estimated 33,000 jobs in January, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Year-over-year, construction employment included 44,000 more jobs than in January 2025.
Since December 2025, the non-residential sector has experienced the bulk of the increase, adding 27,900 jobs, while the residential sector was up by 5,900 positions. The vast majority of those jobs came from within the non-residential specialty trade contractors category, with 25,100 new positions filled. The only category to see a loss in January was non-residential heavy and civil engineering, which was down by 800 jobs.
“The construction industry, much like the broader labor market, rebounded in January,” Anirban Basu, chief economist of Associated Builders and Contractors, said in a statement. “While that’s a welcome development, the industry lost 1,000 jobs in 2025, the first calendar year decline since 2020 and 2010 before that.”
On a yearly basis, all gains came in the non-residential sector, where 87,000 jobs were added. Residential employment fell by 43,600 jobs, resulting in a net overall positive of 44,000 jobs.
“It’s encouraging to see solid construction job gains in January after a year of uneven employment,” Ken Simonson, chief economist at Associated General Contractors of America, noted in a press release. “But those gains will fade later this year unless policymakers provide greater clarity and stability for infrastructure and energy investment.”
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