Thanks to the federal government shutdown, data for measuring the job market must be pulled from other sources. In this case, data from job site Indeed shows construction employment opportunities have hit new lows.

The firm’s Job Postings Index shows construction industry postings were at 120.1 as of Oct. 31. The last time it hit that rate was Jan. 26, 2021. Construction saw its highest rate on May 14, 2021, with 173.5.

Its lowest posting number was April 25, 2020, right when the COVID-19 pandemic caused nationwide shutdowns and social distancing mandates.

According to RC's State of the Industry Report, online job postings on websites like Indeed, Monster, and Craigslist are the second-most-popular method roofing contractors use to recruit talent, just below employee referrals. Overall, 62% of contractors in the 2025 report said they rely on online postings (compared to 63% for employee referrals). When broken down by sector, 55% of residential contractors use online job postings, while 75% of commercial contractors find new workers through them. 

Overall, the Indeed index fell to 101.7 as of Oct. 31. This is the lowest since February 2021, with the report using February 2020 as a baseline value of 100. This is a 0.8% decrease from the beginning of October, right around when the government shutdown occurred.

The index’s highest level was recorded on April 1, 2022, at 161.5. Meanwhile, the lowest rate, 61.8, was recorded on May 5, 2020.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the main source for job openings and labor turnover data. Due to the shutdown, the federal government has paused its monthly reports, leaving industry analysts in the dark about the health of the labor market.

The most recent BLS data available shows the construction industry had 188,000 job openings on the last day of August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 115,000 in August and were down by 116,000 from the same time last year.

“While this data series tends to be volatile on a month-to-month basis, the precipitous decline in job openings aligns with other indicators like construction spending and employment, both of which have fallen in recent months,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu in a written statement in September.

Federal labor market data might be available soon. The Senate took steps today toward ending the shutdown, with eight Democratic senators joining their Republican counterparts for a 60-40 vote that looks to end the shutdown in exchange for a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. The House of Representatives will need to return to session and adopt the deal, and President Trump will need to sign it before the shutdown can end.

Mixed News

Depending on the source, the job market saw either increases or decreases in the past month.

Payroll processing company ADP reported that private companies throughout the U.S. added 42,000 jobs in October. Education, healthcare, trade, and transportation were among the sectors with the largest growth. The company does not track public sector workers.

The report shows that construction added 5,000 jobs in October. The industry has been on a steady incline since July 2020, though it briefly plateaued in June and July 2021.

“Private employers added jobs in October for the first time since July, but hiring was modest relative to what we reported earlier this year,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP, in a written statement. “Meanwhile, pay growth has been largely flat for more than a year, indicating that shifts in supply and demand are balanced.”

ADP’s National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly payroll data of more than 26 million private-sector employees in the U.S.

For a broader look at the labor market, a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement and executive coaching firm, shows U.S.-based employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October, up 175% from 55,597 in October 2024. The job cuts are up 183% from the 54,064 announced one month prior.

Andy Challenger, workplace expert and chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said that the job cutting is a result of some industries correcting after the hiring boom of the pandemic, while other industries are feeling the effects of AI adoption and softening consumer and corporate spending.

“Those laid off now are finding it harder to quickly secure new roles, which could further loosen the labor market,” Challenger said.

As previously reported, AI adoption is impacting the roofing industry’s white-collar jobs, such as administration, sales and customer service. Meanwhile, roofing laborers are among the least threatened occupations.

Year-to-date job cuts are at the highest level since 2020, when 2.3 million cuts were announced through October, according to the report.

Warehousing led all other industries in October for the most job cuts. The report shows there were 47,878 cuts, up from 914 in September. The surge suggests ongoing overcapacity and automation-driven restructuring.