Although the real estate market has been one of the most affected in recent years by high inflation, the construction sector in the United States has become one of the most sought-after trades, experiencing, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the largest increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
And according to a report recently released by ADP, the factors driving this trend are simply supply and demand. The study by the global human resources and payroll analysis company revealed that, except for February and March 2026, since August 2023 the construction sector is one of the ones that has gained the most compared to other sectors.
In this regard, Nela Richardson, chief economist and director of research at ADP, commented that “those who have experienced the largest salary increase so far this year are people who changed jobs in the construction sector, which shows that investing in specialized technical skills can be another valuable avenue to earn a lot of money,” she said.
The ADP analysis showed that those who changed jobs in the construction sector received a salary increase of up to 12.9%, that is, the gross salary reached more than $59,100. “The skilled trades are the most attractive profession of the year in terms of compensation,” Richardson noted.
But what exactly is driving the sector? In recent years, the lack of labor has generated a strong demand for workers. “With a limited workforce, construction workers have the ability to achieve large pay increases by changing jobs,” Richardson said.
Now, with a shortage of electricians, carpenters, plumbers and HVAC technicians, “construction workers are in high demand, and even private sector companies outside the industry are creating apprenticeships and training programs to fill the shortage of qualified personnel,” Richardson said.
