Market news · November 3, 2026

Market note, November 3, 2026: more construction workers quit in September, and more jobs are waiting for them

This morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its job openings and labor turnover report (JOLTS) for September. In construction, the number of workers who quit jumped by almost a third in one month, while open jobs and hiring rose too: workers are leaving because they have somewhere to go.

198,000

Construction workers who quit their jobs in September 2026, up from 152,000 in August and 127,000 a year earlier (BLS JOLTS, preliminary, November 3, 2026)

BLS, November 3: quits up 46,000 in one month

Construction workers quit 198,000 jobs in September 2026 (a 2.4% quits rate), up from 152,000 in August (1.8%) and 127,000 in September 2025 (1.5%). In June, July and August the number sat between 149,000 and 152,000.

At the same time, construction job openings on the last business day of September were 298,000 (a 3.4% rate), up from 262,000 in August and 206,000 a year earlier. Hires rose to 356,000 (4.3%) from 307,000 in August. Layoffs and discharges were 138,000 (1.6%), up from 113,000 in August but well below 194,000 a year ago. Across the whole economy there were 7.5 million openings.

September is a preliminary estimate and will be revised. NAHB's Robert Dietz notes that the construction openings rate fell from 2023 through 2025 and has started to rise only recently, with large swings from month to month: in July openings were 299,000, then fell to 262,000 in August.

Why a small contractor should care, and what to do this week

A quit is a person who chose to leave, and people quit most when other jobs are easy to find. More openings plus more quits means somebody is calling your best tile setter or lead carpenter right now. Losing one person on a 5-person crew in the middle of a job costs you days you have already promised to a client.

This week: sit down for ten minutes with each person you cannot afford to lose and ask what would make them stay: pay, hours, steadier work through the winter, the truck. Then start a short bench before you need it: two or three people per trade you could call tomorrow. On pay itself, our November 1 note has the latest wage numbers.

Where WorkTime CRM helps with this

In Hiring you see applications from people looking for work, filtered by your state, and can mark them Saved or Contacted with a private note. My openings puts your opening on the public board, and you get a Telegram or push alert when someone applies. "+ My crew" or "+ My subs" saves the person into your list without retyping.

Questions

Is this a trend or one bad month?+

Not certain yet. September is a preliminary number and will be revised, and construction openings have swung a lot from month to month this year. What stands out is that quits, openings and hires all rose together.

What is the difference between quits and layoffs?+

A quit is a worker who leaves by their own choice. Layoffs and discharges are separations the employer starts. In September construction had 198,000 quits and 138,000 layoffs and discharges.

Should I raise pay to keep people?+

That depends on your margins and your market. Ask each key person what matters to them first, and check the numbers with your accountant before you promise a raise.

Sources

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