The U.S. construction industry added 19,000 jobs in February, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Over the past year, industry employment has grown by 174,000 jobs, a 2.1% increase.
Non-residential construction employment increased by 6,200 positions, with all three subcategories seeing growth. Heavy and civil engineering led with 2,500 new jobs, followed by non-residential specialty trade, which added 2,000 jobs. Non-residential building employment rose by 1,700 positions in February.
The construction unemployment rate increased to 7.2% last month, while overall U.S. unemployment rose slightly from 4.0% in January to 4.1% in February.
ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu noted that the strong job gains align with industry optimism reflected in ABC’s Construction Confidence Index. February saw the highest monthly employment growth in construction since the Q3 2024. He also pointed out that the rising construction unemployment rate suggests a larger labor pool available for hiring.
Overall, the U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in February. Basu described the report as a "good-but-boring" update, offering stability after recent economic uncertainty. While federal government employment declined by 10,000 jobs, accounting for just 2% of total employment, potential spending cuts and uncertainty could impact construction activity in the future.
