The construction labor market continued to show resilience through Q3. Construction employment increased by 22,000 jobs in August, bringing year-over-year industry employment growth to 120,000 jobs, or roughly 1.5%. Specialty trade contractors accounted for a significant share of that growth, with nonresidential specialty trade employment up 3.0% year over year.
At the same time, the industry’s unemployment rate remained low at 3.1% in August. That relatively small pool of unemployed construction workers reinforces an ongoing challenge for contractors: finding available people with the specific skills and experience needed for today’s projects.
Take a deeper look at the key trends that shaped the Q3 2026 in our full Construction and Skilled Labor Report.
