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U.S. construction employment is projected to rise by 410,700 jobs, or 5%, from 2025 to 2035, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections analyzed by the NAHB. Specialty trade contractors are expected to add 270,600 jobs, led by demand for electricians, HVAC technicians and plumbers.
U.S. construction employment is projected to increase by 410,700 jobs between 2025 and 2035, reaching about 8.68 million, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders. The projected 5% growth is faster than the 3.5% increase forecast for total U.S. employment over the same period.
The projection puts construction employment at approximately 8.27 million jobs in 2025 and 8.68 million in 2035. The figures describe a forecast, not jobs already created, and indicate the expected net change across the industry over the decade.
Specialty trade contractors are projected to account for 270,600 of the added jobs. Residential building construction is forecast to add another 34,200. Together, those two segments represent about 74% of construction’s projected net employment gain, according to the NAHB analysis. Specialty contractors include businesses carrying out work such as electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and roofing.
Among specialty trades, electricians are projected to gain 65,700 jobs from 2025 to 2035. Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers are forecast to add 40,900, while plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are projected to gain 27,900. Construction laborers in the segment are expected to add 34,800 jobs.
Residential building gains are more concentrated in on-site and project-support roles. The analysis projects 13,900 additional construction laborers and 8,100 carpenters in the segment, along with 5,100 construction managers. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers are projected to add 2,800 jobs, and project management specialists 1,700.
Where Construction Jobs May Grow
The projections point to a greater share of expected hiring in specialty trades than in residential building construction. Electricians account for the largest specified occupational increase among specialty contractors, while HVAC and plumbing roles also show substantial projected gains. For job seekers, employers and training providers, that breakdown identifies trades where employment is forecast to expand.
The projected 5% increase exceeds the 3.5% forecast for all U.S. employment, but the comparison is about growth rates over the same decade, not the number of jobs in each sector. The forecast does not establish that every occupation, location or company will experience growth at the same pace. It offers a national outlook that can inform workforce planning, while actual hiring will depend on future construction activity and employers’ needs.
Management and supervisory roles also appear in the occupational projections. Across specialty trade contractors, first-line supervisors are forecast to gain 17,300 jobs and construction managers 11,200. These figures suggest that projected growth is not limited to hands-on trade work, although the analysis identifies larger projected increases among several skilled trades.
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How the Forecast Breaks Down
The figures come from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections and an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders, as reported by Hardware Retailing. The period measured runs from 2025 through 2035. The source reports industry totals, segment estimates and selected occupational projections within residential building construction and specialty trade contracting.
The headline estimate of 410,700 additional jobs is the reported change from roughly 8.27 million to 8.68 million. The supplied material describes that as a 5% increase. It also gives the 3.5% projected increase for total U.S. employment as a comparison. These are forward-looking estimates, rather than a record of realized job growth.
Specialty trade contractors perform specific parts of construction projects, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing work. Their projected addition of 270,600 jobs is substantially larger than the 34,200 forecast for residential building construction. Those two segment figures together make up approximately 74% of the total projected net gain, according to the analysis; the remaining increase is associated with other parts of the construction industry.
What the Job Forecast Cannot Show
The figures are projections, not guarantees. The source material does not provide the assumptions behind the estimates, confidence ranges, regional breakdowns or a year-by-year path for employment. It also does not explain how projected hiring may vary with changes in construction demand, technology, productivity or the availability of trained workers.
The reported totals describe expected net employment changes over the full decade. They do not say how many workers employers will recruit in a given year, how many openings may come from people leaving jobs, or how many positions will be filled. The analysis also supplies selected occupational estimates rather than a complete count of projected changes for every construction job.
While the source compares projected construction growth with total U.S. employment growth, it does not establish the reasons for the forecast or say that every construction segment will grow. Actual employment through 2035 could differ from the estimates as economic conditions and building activity change.
Tracking Hiring Through 2035
The next step is to compare the projection with subsequent BLS employment data as it becomes available. Those figures will show whether construction employment is following the forecast and whether growth is concentrated in the trades and industry segments identified by the NAHB analysis.
For now, the report offers a decade-long outlook rather than an announcement of new hiring targets or a specific workforce program. Employers, educators and job seekers can use the occupational estimates as a planning reference, while keeping in mind that the forecast does not promise a particular number of openings in any year or location.
Key Questions
How many construction jobs are projected to be added by 2035?
The BLS projections, as analyzed by the NAHB, estimate a net increase of 410,700 jobs from 2025 to 2035. Employment is projected to rise from about 8.27 million to 8.68 million.
Which construction segment is forecast to add the most jobs?
Specialty trade contractors are projected to add 270,600 jobs. Residential building construction is forecast to add 34,200.
Which occupation has the largest specified projected gain?
Among specialty trade contractors, electricians are projected to gain 65,700 jobs between 2025 and 2035. The source also forecasts gains for HVAC mechanics and installers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, and construction laborers.
Is the 400,000-job figure guaranteed?
No. It is a projection based on BLS estimates analyzed by the NAHB, not a confirmed count of jobs already added or a guarantee of future hiring. Actual employment may differ from the forecast.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
