The share of unfilled jobs in the construction industry in June represented a post-recession high, with 263,000 positions open.
Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Association of Home Builders' analysis shows that the open position rate, (job openings as a percentage of total employment plus current job openings), also grew to 3.5 percent in June, while the average hiring rate held at 5.1 percent over a twelve-month period, and the rate of layoffs was steady at 2.5 percent.
The overall trend for open construction jobs has been increasing since the end of the Great Recession. This is consistent with survey data indicating that access to labor remains a top business challenge for builders. NAHB expects construction sector net hiring to continue in 2018 as the single-family construction market expands. However, as labor remains a top cited challenge to expansion, builders will increasingly explore options to find ways to build more with less.
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