Both Residential and Nonresidential Spending Post Monthly Increases while Sharp Decline in Hiring Suggests Further Growth in Spending May Be Difficult Unless Industry Can Attract More Workers
Total construction spending increased by 0.4 percent in September, yet a record-high number of job openings suggests the industry would be completing even more projects if it could hire enough workers, according to an analysis of federal spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials cautioned that efforts in Congress to limit the construction industry性视界传媒檚 access to potential workers could undermine future infrastructure and economic development projects.
性视界传媒淚t is encouraging that most categories of construction, including homebuilding, are growing,性视界传媒 said Ken Simonson, the association性视界传媒檚 chief economist. 性视界传媒淏ut the numbers would be even more impressive if the industry didn性视界传媒檛 have so many unfilled job openings.性视界传媒
Construction spending, not adjusted for inflation, totaled $1.997 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in September. That figure is 0.4 percent above the August rate, which was revised up from the initial estimate. Spending on private residential construction rose by 0.6 percent, with a 1.3 percent increase in single-family spending and a dip of 0.1 percent in multifamily projects. Spending on private nonresidential construction edged up 0.1 percent in September, while public construction investment rose 0.4 percent.
The largest nonresidential segments showed mixed changes from August to September. Spending on manufacturing plants declined 0.4 percent. Spending on commercial construction性视界传媒攃omprising warehouse, retail, and farm construction性视界传媒攔ose by 0.7 percent. Highway and street spending slipped 0.1 percent. Investment in power, oil, and gas projects climbed 0.9 percent. Education spending jumped 1.8 percent.
A separate government report showed job openings climbed to 438,000 on September 30, the highest September figure in the 23-year history of the series. Meanwhile, the industry was able to hire only 294,000 employees in the entire month, an 18 percent decline from September 2022. Simonson said the huge number of openings was a sign the drop in hiring is due to a dearth of applicants, not projects.
Association officials warned that efforts in Congress to exclude the construction industry from the H-2B visa program will make it even harder for firms the find enough workers to keep pace with demand. They noted the federal government already underinvests in career and technical education programs that focus on construction. Excluding the industry from accessing the pool of workers available through the visa program would only make it harder for firms to build vital infrastructure and economic development projects, they noted.
性视界传媒淭he construction industry is already up against a federal government that spends most of its education money urging students to pursue other career fields,性视界传媒 said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association性视界传媒檚 chief executive officer. 性视界传媒淓xcluding construction from the visa program is like having a federal government that wants to build things but doesn性视界传媒檛 seem interested in having anybody to build them.性视界传媒