Available job openings in the construction sector showed month-to-month and year-over-year declines. Economists point to caution from investors and owners taking a wait-and-see approach—at least in the near term—as tariff rates remain unresolved and wariness over the economic outlook persists. Sector jobs were down 38,000 as of the last day of March compared to February’s numbers, according to the recently released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Year-over-year, the 248,000 construction job openings reported was down 90,000 from the number recorded in March 2024.

“Construction job openings continued to trend lower in March, a clear sign of slowing industrywide demand for labor,” said Associated Builders and Contractors’ Chief Economist Anirban Basu in a press release. “With quitting and layoff activity also subdued for the month, construction labor force churn is virtually nonexistent at the moment.”

Regionally, the number of jobs increased the most in the D.C. metro areas of Arlington, Alexandria and Reston, Va., in the past year, while the largest loss was in the Los Angeles metro area. Overall, only 192 of 360 regions experienced increased construction employment, while the number of jobs declined in 117 areas and stayed the same in 51.

“In the past 12 months, barely half of metro areas experienced an increase in construction employment, a notable slowing from last year,” Ken Simonson, chief economist at Associated General Contractors, said in a press release. “This may be a sign that investors and project owners are putting more investments on hold until they get more clarity about tariff and workforce policies that can affect the cost, timing and demand for construction.”

Basu also noted that tariffs could be influencing the current figures. “While a majority of contractors surveyed in March expect to increase their staffing levels over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, tariffs and other economic headwinds may blunt hiring expectations in the months to come,” he said.