Michael Latas & Associates
Construction Report - September 2026

Executive Summary

• The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, while construction added 22,000 jobs during the month.
  • Residential GC's added over 10,000 employees in the month
• Michael Latas & Associates was nominated by Business Insider as top recruiting firm in the nation
  • America's Top Recruiting Firms - Business Insider
• Michael Latas & Associates was nominated by Forbes again as one of the top executive recruiting companies in the nation
  • Forbes 2026 America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms List
• Add talent to your team by contacting us today!

​Construction Hiring Remains Strong as Industry Unemployment Hits Record Low
The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, a significant improvement from the prior two months, while the national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%.
Construction continued to outperform the broader labor market, adding 22,000 jobs in August and marking the industry's sixth consecutive month of employment growth. Construction employment now stands at approximately 8.36 million workers, an increase of 120,000 jobs, or 1.5%, over the past 12 months.
Nonresidential construction remains the industry's primary growth engine:

• Nonresidential construction added 10,400 jobs in August
• Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 7,800 jobs
• Heavy and civil engineering added 4,400 jobs
• Residential construction added approximately 10,700 jobs
• Nonresidential construction employment is up 2.8% year-over-year
• Nonresidential specialty trade employment is up 3.0% year-over-year

Perhaps the most striking number in the report is the construction industry's unemployment rate, which fell to just 3.1% — the lowest level recorded in the 26-year history of the current series.
The exceptionally tight labor market continues to create recruiting challenges. According to the latest AGC/NCCER workforce survey, 88% of contractors report that filling hourly craft positions is as difficult or more difficult than it was one year ago.
Wages are responding accordingly. Average hourly earnings for construction production and nonsupervisory workers reached $39.36 per hour, up 5.0% over the past year and approximately 21% higher than the average for private-sector production workers.
Data centers, advanced manufacturing and power infrastructure continue to drive much of the industry's employment growth. The concentration of hiring among nonresidential specialty contractors is particularly notable and reflects continued demand for electrical, mechanical and other skilled trades associated with the AI infrastructure buildout.
Bottom Line
Construction continues to be one of the stronger segments of the U.S. labor market. The industry is adding workers at a faster year-over-year rate than the overall economy, nonresidential contractors continue to expand, and construction unemployment has reached a record low.
For employers, however, those same numbers highlight the industry's biggest challenge: there are very few experienced construction professionals sitting on the sidelines. Competition for project managers, superintendents, estimators and skilled trades is likely to remain intense as data center, power, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing projects compete for a limited pool of experienced talent.