According to the National Association of Homebuilders’ (NAHB) analysis of the latest 2024 data from the American Community Survey (ACS), the long-running shift in the construction labor force away from construction trades and toward management, business and technical roles is ongoing and gaining momentum. While the total industry employment now exceeds the levels reached during the 2005 to 2006 housing boom, the composition of that workforce has changed markedly.
The share of construction trades workers has declined from 71% in 2005 to 59% in 2024. At the same time, the share of computer, engineering and science occupations has more than doubled, while management and business roles have expanded by 73%.
