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U.S. construction employment is projected to grow from about 8.27 million jobs in 2025 to 8.68 million in 2035, a net gain of 410,700, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections analyzed by NAHB. Specialty trade contractors are expected to account for about 270,600 of those added jobs, with electricians projected to post the largest occupation-level gain in that segment.
U.S. construction employment is projected to increase by 410,700 jobs, or 5%, from 2025 to 2035, reaching about 8.68 million jobs, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders. The forecast points to faster growth than the 3.5% projected for total U.S. employment over the same decade, although it is a projection rather than a count of jobs already created.
The forecast estimates construction employment at approximately 8.27 million in 2025 and 8.68 million in 2035. NAHB’s analysis says two industry segments account for about 74% of the projected net gain: specialty trade contractors, expected to add 270,600 jobs, and residential building construction, expected to add 34,200. The remaining projected growth is spread across other construction segments.
Specialty trade contractors cover work such as electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and roofing. Within that segment, electricians are projected to add 65,700 jobs between 2025 and 2035. Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers are forecast to gain 40,900 jobs, while construction laborers are projected to add 34,800 and plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters 27,900.
For residential building construction, the largest listed projected occupational gain is among construction laborers, with 13,900 additional jobs. The analysis also projects increases of 8,100 for carpenters, 5,100 for construction managers, 2,800 for first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, and 1,700 for project management specialists. These are occupation-level estimates within the cited segments, not a guarantee that each role will add that number of filled positions.
Where Construction Hiring May Grow
If the forecast is borne out, the projected increase would mean construction employment grows faster over the decade than the overall U.S. workforce, based on the comparison in the BLS projections analyzed by NAHB. The concentration of expected gains in specialty trades gives a clearer indication of which parts of the industry may see the strongest workforce expansion.
The occupational estimates also suggest that projected growth is not limited to hands-on construction labor. The analysis anticipates increases among electricians and HVAC workers, as well as construction managers and supervisors. For employers, workers and people considering training or career choices, these figures offer a long-term outlook; they do not establish current vacancies, wages, or how hiring will be distributed by location.
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How the Forecast Breaks Down
The figures come from Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, as presented in an analysis by NAHB and reported by Hardware Retailing. The forecast compares estimated employment in 2025 with projected employment in 2035. Its 410,700-job net gain is rounded in the headline to roughly 400,000, while the source material gives the more specific estimate of 410,700, equivalent to 5% growth.
The forecast’s comparison with overall U.S. employment is also limited to projected growth rates over the same period: 5% for construction and 3.5% for total employment. The source does not provide a year-by-year hiring path or explain how economic conditions, construction demand, retirements, or other factors could change the eventual outcome. The numbers should be read as projections, not as a report of realized hiring.
Forecasts Are Not Hiring Guarantees
The reported figures are projections for 2025–2035, not confirmed future job additions. The source material does not specify how quickly employment might rise during the period, how gains could vary across states or local markets, or what assumptions drive the estimates. Actual employment may differ as demand and economic conditions change.
The analysis also does not provide details on pay, the number of openings created by workers leaving the industry, or whether employers will be able to fill projected roles. Its estimates describe changes in employment, not a complete measure of hiring demand or worker shortages.
The Decade-Long Outlook to Track
The forecast’s endpoint is 2035, so the key development to track is whether later employment data move toward the projected 8.68 million jobs. Future BLS employment estimates and projections can show how the construction workforce changes as the decade progresses; the source does not give a nearer-term milestone or a schedule for revisions.
Readers should distinguish subsequent observed employment figures from the current projection. Industry-level and occupational data, when available, will help show whether specialty contractors and the listed trades follow the forecasted path.
Key Questions
How many construction jobs are projected to be added by 2035?
The BLS projections analyzed by NAHB forecast a net increase of 410,700 jobs from 2025 to 2035, rounded in the report headline to about 400,000.
Which construction segment is projected to add the most jobs?
Specialty trade contractors are forecast to add 270,600 jobs. Residential building construction is projected to add 34,200.
Which occupation has the largest projected gain among specialty contractors?
Electricians are projected to add 65,700 jobs in specialty trade contractors between 2025 and 2035.
Is the 410,700-job increase confirmed?
No. It is a forecast based on BLS projections, not a count of jobs already added or a guarantee of future hiring. Actual employment may differ.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
