According to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data released on June 5, 2026, construction firms added 17,000 jobs in May. Construction employment totaled 8,337,000 in May, an increase of 17,000 since April. Over the year, the industry has added 68,000 jobs, an increase of 0.8%. Residential construction employment inched up by 900 positions in May and specialty trade contractors added 2,600 positions for the month. Additionally, overall construction pay rose by 5% over the past year. “The construction industry will continue to add…
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Residential construction labor market remains resilient
Despite rising inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty, the U.S. labor market remained resilient in May 2026. Residential construction employment now stands at 3.3 million in May, including 925,000 workers employed by builders and remodelers and nearly 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors. Employment in the overall construction sector rose by 17,000 jobs in May, following a gain of 9,000 in April. Within the industry, residential construction added 900 jobs, while non-residential construction added 15,700 jobs. Wage growth moderated in May, with average hourly earnings rising 3.4% year-over-year. This pace is…
Read MoreU.S. Census Bureau April 2026 Residential Construction Report
On May 21, 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau released its Monthly New Residential Construction report for April 2026. Regarding building permits, single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of 872,000, 2.6% below the revised March figure of 895,000. Across the U.S., privately-owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,465,000, 2.8% (±11%)* below the revised March estimate of 1,507,000, but 4.6% (±13.9%)* above the April 2025 rate of 1,400,000. Single-family housing starts in April were at a rate of 930,000, which is 9% below…
Read MoreNAHB urges Congress to advance housing supply reforms
On May 21, 2026, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chairman Bill Owens, a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio, testified before the House Small Business Committee on how small builders can help close the nation’s housing gap. “NAHB estimates the country is facing a structural shortage of about 1.2 million homes,” said Owens. “Small builders are doing all they can to increase housing supply, but they cannot overcome the shortage as long as rising costs and system delays continue to hold back progress.” In his testimony, he…
Read MoreConstruction Material Price April Analysis
According to Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of federal Producer Price Index (PPI) data, overall construction input prices rose 1.7% from March to April and are now up 6.2% since January. The biggest drivers in April were energy and metals-related materials, including crude petroleum, natural gas, iron and steel, which can ripple through everything from transportation and asphalt to building systems and structural components. As prices of materials rise, the cost of building both housing and its associated infrastructure also increases. For counties, this trend is significant as tightening budgets…
Read MoreResidential building workers’ wage subdues
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, residential building workers’ wage growth remained subdued in the first quarter of 2026, a reflection of easing construction activity and labor demand. Wages remain strong relative to other industries, at 8.4% higher than the manufacturing sector, 22.4% higher than the transportation and warehousing sector and 3.6% lower than the mining and logging sector. Both nominal and inflation-adjusted wage gains remained calm. Average hourly earnings for residential building workers increased 2.1% year-over-year in March, down from the 9.4% peak in mid-2024.…
Read MoreU.S. home builder sentiment increases in May
Home builder sentiment increased in May across the U.S. This month, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 37, up from 34 in April. About 32% of builders cut prices in May as a sale incentive to potential homebuyers. The price cut was down from 36% in April, with an average price reduction of 6%, versus 5% in April. The use of sales incentives was 61% in May, up from 60% in April, the 14th straight month at 60% or higher. The survey’s measure of current…
Read MoreMass timber industry offers jobs and sustainability
Cornell’s Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) produced a primer, “Mass Timber: Advancing Sustainable Construction and High-Quality Job Creation,” and presented it at an event held at the Hyatt Place Albany-Downtown in New York on May 11, 2026. The primer focused on the industry’s ability to produce job growth and provide sustainability in construction. The global mass timber market is projected to grow to over $1.3 billion by 2030, with the U.S. poised to become the world’s fastest-growing mass timber market over the coming decade. “Mass timber is more than an alternative,…
Read MoreResidential leads U.S. construction spending
According to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America, U.S. construction spending increased 0.6% from February to March, with gains in residential construction and data center-related projects. Residential construction spending rose 3.6% compared with a year earlier, including a 2.7% monthly increase in single-family construction. Total construction spending reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.186 trillion in March, up 1.6% from March 2025. Private construction spending increased 0.8% for the month and 1.0% year over year, while multifamily construction increased 0.5% year over year. Association officials noted,…
Read MoreNew law speeds up home renovations and repairs in Florida
A new bill signed into law aims to slash local red tape and lower costs for Florida homeowners, in an effort to expedite home renovations and storm repairs. House Bill 803 will introduce sweeping changes to Florida building permit laws, as well as how building permits and inspections are managed across municipalities within the state. The legislation was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this week after passing both the House and Senate. For residents of Key Biscayne and coastal communities where home renovations and storm repairs are a constant way…
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