Construction job openings nationwide surged to 326,000 in July 2026, climbing 28,000 from June and 21,000 year over year, according to BLS JOLTS data reported by Associated Builders and Contractors. That figure represents the highest construction job opening rate in nearly two years. For contractors managing North Carolina construction jobs, the message is clear: the competition for skilled workers is intensifying, and the firms that move fastest on recruiting, retention, and pipeline development will protect their schedules, margins, and growth.
North Carolina’s construction sector employed approximately 297,400 workers as of July 2026, with the state adding about 2,900 construction jobs in June alone. Over 400 active construction projects are ongoing in North Carolina, and the NC Department of Commerce projects the industry will grow by roughly 4.70%, adding nearly 12,800 jobs statewide through 2034. With demand for construction workers driven by population growth and infrastructure needs, and general contractors reporting their biggest backlog of work in years, the labor market is tightening at exactly the moment Carolinas contractors need to scale up.
This page breaks down where the pressure is greatest, which roles are hardest to fill, and what practical steps contractors can take now.
Labor demand across the state is not uniform. Certain roles carry outsized risk when positions go unfilled, and understanding where the squeeze is worst helps employers prioritize their workforce strategies.
Experienced field supervisors and foremen are among the hardest positions to fill in NC. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades are projected to grow approximately 9% through 2032, with the state expecting roughly 3,150 annual job openings in the category. Average wages for this position in North Carolina sit around $75,270 per year, ranging from about $51,040 at the 10th percentile to $104,850 at the 90th.
The impact of unfilled foreman roles extends well beyond a single site. In Charlotte, the Triangle, and Upstate South Carolina, where commercial construction projects are dense and overlapping, a missing supervisor can stall field operations, erode safety discipline, and force costly schedule adjustments. Superintendents manage construction projects and ensure they meet deadlines; when that position is vacant, the ripple effects extend across field crews and subcontractors.
Construction laborers, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians represent the backbone of field operations, and the replacement pipeline is not keeping pace. NC’s construction laborer workforce is expected to grow 8% over the decade, from roughly 52,940 to 57,120, generating about 4,740 annual job openings from growth and replacements combined. The US will need 66,900 new construction workers in the next decade to meet overall demand.
High-demand construction roles in North Carolina include project managers, superintendents, and skilled trades. Workforce challenges in the construction industry include a demand for skilled trades and physical laborers, and employers in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte are all seeking the same limited pool of experienced craft workers. Entry-level construction roles often require physical stamina and the ability to lift heavy objects, and general eligibility for construction jobs in North Carolina typically requires a high school diploma and a minimum age of 18. Safety training, including OSHA certification, is commonly required or preferred for construction roles.
The scale of commercial projects across the Carolinas, particularly data center and power infrastructure work along the I-85 and I-77 corridors, has elevated demand for project managers, superintendents, and estimators. Project managers lead construction projects from preconstruction through closeout. Estimators prepare competitive estimates for various commercial projects. Project executives oversee electrical construction projects from planning to completion. Traveling superintendents manage projects across multiple locations, and healthcare project managers oversee pharmaceutical and healthcare construction projects.
For contractors seeking to build bench strength, assistant project manager roles represent a critical entry point for career advancement. These positions offer a pathway to grow talent internally; for professionals ready to step forward, they are also roles worth watching closely and applying for, rather than competing on the open market for senior-level hires.
Several indicators signal tightening labor conditions across the state, and contractors who monitor these trends will make better business decisions about bids, schedules, and workforce investment.
As openings approach a two-year high nationally, upward pressure on wages is inevitable locally. North Carolina construction sector wages rose about 2.5% year over year in 2025, keeping pace with inflation but not dramatically outpacing it. To attract scarce craftspeople, supervisors, and operators, employers may need to offer more than marginal increases.
The real cost isn’t just higher wages for new hires. It is the retention risk when experienced workers on your current roster see better offers elsewhere. Construction workers have a B employability rating according to CareerExplorer, meaning qualified workers have options. Losing a skilled foreman or lead mechanic mid-project creates replacement costs, schedule disruption, and quality control problems that far exceed the wage differential. Contractors should factor these dynamics into project budgets and bid assumptions.
Labor shortages translate directly into schedule risk. When a contractor cannot staff a critical phase, delays cascade through the project timeline. Subcontractor availability is a growing concern along the I-85 and I-77 corridors, where commercial and industrial work is concentrated. Charlotte-area construction metro employment stands at roughly 86,700, and the volume of local projects makes subcontractor scheduling increasingly competitive.
Clients expect on-time delivery. Contractors who cannot maintain schedule commitments risk damaging relationships, triggering liquidated damages, and losing future work. For firms managing multiple location assignments, deploying a traveling superintendent across sites becomes a strategic advantage.
Rushing to fill roles with less experienced workers introduces safety and quality risk on construction sites. Commercial construction firms often rely on workforce development and safety programs for training employees, and shortcuts in that process have consequences. Increased incident rates raise insurance costs, damage reputation, and can trigger OSHA scrutiny.
Maintaining training standards during a labor shortage is not optional. It is a business imperative. Firms that invest in structured onboarding, mentorship, and ongoing education maintain the quality and safety culture that protects both workers and the bottom line.
The July data shows contractors need to treat workforce strategy as a core business function, not an HR afterthought. Here are the moves that build competitive advantage now.
North Carolina’s construction sector is driven by residential, commercial, and infrastructure growth, and the July JOLTS data confirms that the competition for talent will only intensify. ABC Carolinas members have access to a variety of resources designed to address exactly this challenge.
The chapter’s workforce development programs connect contractors with apprenticeship training, craft education, and early-career pipeline tools. For firms struggling to find experienced craft workers, apprenticeship programs offer a structured path to build the skills your projects demand. For those looking further ahead, university student chapters create relationships with future industry leaders while they are still in school.
Networking events, peer groups, and member roundtables provide forums to share recruiting strategies, discuss wage benchmarks for specific trades and markets, and learn what other firms are doing to maintain workforce stability. In a merit shop environment, the contractors who invest most deliberately in their people gain the strongest competitive position, winning work based on the skill, productivity, and safety of their workforce rather than on artificial constraints.
The practical next steps: review your current open positions and time-to-fill metrics, evaluate whether your compensation packages remain competitive in your local market (whether that is Charlotte, Greensboro, or a rural NC county), and engage with ABC Carolinas’ training and apprenticeship resources to begin closing the gap between demand and capacity.
Below are answers to common questions about this topic.
It signals heightened competition for the same limited pool of skilled workers. North Carolina added roughly 2,900 construction jobs in June 2026, but with national openings surging to 326,000, the risk includes wage inflation, talent poaching across state lines, and growing difficulty filling specialized roles. Contractors in high-activity markets like Charlotte, the Triangle, and along the I-85 corridor will feel this pressure most acutely in their ability to staff projects on schedule and control labor costs.
Metro Charlotte (with construction employment around 86,700) and the Raleigh-Durham Triangle face the highest demand pressure, followed by counties in the data center corridor in central NC and along the I-85 and I-77 corridors, where industrial and commercial work is concentrated. Rural and non-metropolitan counties face a different challenge: lower wages and fewer applicants make it harder to attract skilled trade talent without offering relocation support or travel arrangements.
Focus on retention first, because reducing turnover is less expensive than constant recruiting. Use loyalty incentives, clear career paths, meaningful benefits, and strong jobsite culture to differentiate your firm. Invest in apprenticeship programs to develop less experienced workers rather than expecting fully qualified hires for every position. Build recruiting speed so you can extend offers before competitors, and use data-driven planning to account for potential wage increases in your estimates and bids.
Apprenticeship programs are essential for building a sustainable workforce pipeline. With NC projecting roughly 4,740 annual openings for construction laborers alone (from both growth and replacement needs), and 66,900 new construction workers needed across the US over the next decade, apprenticeships provide the structured training that turns motivated candidates into productive, skilled craft workers. They also strengthen retention: workers who grow their career within your organization are more likely to stay. ABC Carolinas offers apprenticeship and craft education programs designed specifically for this purpose.
The July 2026 JOLTS data makes the industry’s workforce reality impossible to ignore. Construction job openings are near a two-year high, North Carolina’s construction employment continues to grow, and the firms that treat recruiting, training, and retention as strategic priorities will be the ones that finish projects on time, maintain quality, and protect profitability.
If you are an ABC Carolinas member, now is the time to engage with the chapter’s workforce development programs, explore apprenticeship and craft education for your team, and connect with fellow contractors through networking and peer groups to share what is working. If you are not yet a member, consider how access to these resources, plus the merit shop community’s collective knowledge, could strengthen your position in a market where every skilled worker matters.
