Michael Latas & Associates
Construction Report - April 2026

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April showed a stronger construction market than the first quarter suggested. Construction added 26,000 jobs in March, bringing year-over-year industry employment growth to 57,000 jobs, or 0.7%. The construction unemployment rate fell to 6.7%.
Backlog also improved. ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.6 months in March, a meaningful rebound from earlier 2026 levels.
The project pipeline was strongest in nonresidential and infrastructure-related work. ConstructConnect reported that early 2026 starts were being powered by a surge in nonresidential construction, especially offices/data centers and large megaprojects.
What it means: April looked like a recovery month. Hiring improved, backlog rebounded, and the strongest demand remained concentrated in data centers, infrastructure, large commercial projects, and specialty trades.