Construction to add about 410,000 jobs by 2035, with electricians leading, BLS projects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects U.S. construction employment will reach 8.68 million jobs in 2035, up 410,700, or 5%, from about 8.27 million in 2025, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders. The whole economy is projected to grow 3.5%.
Specialty trade contractors account for 270,600 of the added jobs, growth of 5.2%, NAHB economist Jing Fu wrote on the association's Eye On Housing blog. Residential building construction adds 34,200, or 3.7%. The two segments make up about 74% of the industry's net gain. NAHB notes that the specialty trade figures include work on commercial and other nonresidential projects as well as homes.
Electricians lead the specialty trades with 65,700 new jobs over the decade. HVAC and refrigeration mechanics and installers add 40,900, construction laborers 34,800, and plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters 27,900. Trade supervisors gain 17,300 and construction managers 11,200. Inside residential building firms, laborers (13,900) and carpenters (8,100) see the biggest increases.
Solar photovoltaic installers are the fastest-growing specialty trade at 35.5%. Office jobs shrink: specialty contractors are projected to employ 9,200 fewer office clerks, and helpers to brick, block and stone masons and tile setters drop 13.5%.
Across all industries, BLS expects 5.9 million more jobs, taking total employment from 170.3 million to 176.2 million. That pace is far slower than the 10.9% growth recorded from 2015 to 2025.
Why it matters: Electrical and HVAC contractors face the largest projected headcount growth of any trades through 2035. Shops in those trades can use the numbers to size apprenticeship classes and plan wage budgets.
Sources
- Which Construction Occupations Will See the Largest Job Gains Over the Next Decade?Eye On Housing (NAHB), Oct 27
- U.S. Construction Industry Projected to Add 400,000 Jobs by 2035Hardware Retailing, Oct 27