In April 2025, the U.S. construction sector added 11,000 jobs, with residential construction contributing 3,400 positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite this growth, homebuilder hiring has remained nearly flat over the past year due to factors such as high mortgage rates, rising home prices, and material costs impacting buyer demand. The unemployment rate for construction workers increased to 5.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis. Since 2010, residential construction employment has gained approximately 1.4 million jobs, though it has not yet returned to the peak levels seen during the 2006 housing boom.
According to NAHB, “There were 3.3 million Americans employed in residential construction in April: 956,000 home builders and 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors. Over the last 12 months, home builders and remodelers have added just 5,000 net new jobs. Over the last six months, the average monthly change in home building employment is -1,583.”
