U.S. Construction Industry Facts, Stats & Trends
Every sector of the U.S. economy relies on the construction industry in some capacity. But just how big is the construction sector and how fast is it growing? This page provides an overview of key statistics and trends within the industry, including annual spending, employment levels, and more.
Below are several key statistics from the most recent full year of available data:
- Total annual spending / gross output: $2.0 trillion (2023)
- Construction industry share of U.S. GDP: 4.4% (2023)
- Total construction industry employment: 8.0 million (2023)
- Total employment in construction-specific occupations: 6.2 million (2023)
- Number of construction businesses (total): 3.6 million (2021)
- Number of construction businesses (with employees): 780,257 (2021)
- Total homes built per year: 1.5 million (2023)
Construction Industry Spending & Growth
This section provides the most recent estimates of the total value of construction work done in the U.S. The data is updated monthly and is sourced from the following U.S. Census Bureau surveys:
With the exception of the privately-owned housing starts and completions section, the data shown here covers construction spending on new and existing structures across the public and private sectors. All statistics shown are seasonally adjusted annual rates.
Total Construction Spending
Public vs. Private Spending
Residential vs. Nonresidential Spending
Privately-Owned Housing Starts & Completions
Related Posts
More Residential Construction Reports
Nonresidential Spending by Sector
Top Nonresidential Sectors
Top Nonresidential Sectors by Growth
Nonresidential Spending by State
*State changes are adjusted for inflation
Private Nonresidential Spending by State
Total
*Total annual private construction spending
Per Capita
*Per capita annual private construction spending
Public Nonresidential Spending by State
Total
*Total annual public construction spending
Per Capita
*Per capita annual public construction spending
Construction Employment Data
This section provides the most recent employment estimates for the construction industry. The data is updated monthly and is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics survey, which provides detailed industry estimates of wage and salary workers. The statistics presented below do not include the self-employed.
Total Construction Employment
Residential vs. Nonresidential Employment
Construction Employment by Sector
Male vs. Female Construction Employment
Hourly Earnings
Related Posts on Salaries & Wages
Best-Paying Cities for Construction Workers
Best-Paying Construction Jobs in the U.S.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau. Value of Construction Put in Place Survey [Data set]. Retrieved monthly from https://www.census.gov/construction/c30/c30index.html.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey [Data set]. Retrieved monthly from https://www.census.gov/construction/bps/index.html.
- U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns [Data set]. Retrieved annually from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics [Data set]. Retrieved annually from https://www.bls.gov/oes/.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics [Data set]. Retrieved monthly from https://www.bls.gov/ces/.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index [Data set]. Retrieved monthly from https://www.bls.gov/cpi/.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Estimates of the Population for the U.S. and States [Data set]. Retrieved annually from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html.
Each company featured in our guides has been independently selected and reviewed by our research team. If you select one of these companies and click on a link, we may earn a commission.
By clicking on these links, you may be taken to one of our insurance partners. The specific company listed here may or may not be included in our partner’s network at this time.