U.S. construction employment rose by 11,000 in September 2026, while wood product manufacturing employment increased by 2,100, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These are separate payroll measures for different industries—not a count of wood production or construction jobs tied to wood. Both September estimates are preliminary.
What the September figures measure
The figures come from the BLS establishment survey, which measures nonfarm payroll employment, hours, and earnings by industry. The BLS also conducts a household survey to measure labor-force status; its unemployment-rate figure comes from that separate survey. As the BLS puts it, “This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys.” The September Employment Situation was published October 2, 2026. BLS: The Employment Situation — September 2026
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Employment levels in the BLS industry table are reported in thousands. Its seasonally adjusted figures show wood product manufacturing employment at 394.0 thousand in September, compared with 391.9 thousand in August—a 2.1-thousand, or 2,100-job, increase. “Wood products” here means payroll employment in the manufacturing industry, not the volume of lumber or other products made, sales, or workers employed in construction.
Construction added 11,000 jobs, with gains concentrated in specialty trades
The BLS said, “Employment in construction changed little in September (+11,000).” That monthly increase was close to the average pace of 10,000 construction jobs added per month over the prior 12 months. Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 12,000 jobs, according to the BLS summary. The specialty-trade gain can exceed the total construction increase because other construction categories may have had offsetting changes.
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A separate analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimated that nonresidential construction employment rose by 16,100 in September: 12,300 in nonresidential specialty trade, 2,600 in heavy and civil engineering, and 1,200 in nonresidential building. Those are ABC’s breakdowns of BLS data, not substitutes for the BLS summary’s rounded 12,000 specialty-trade figure. ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said, “The construction industry added jobs for the seventh straight month in September.” ABC: Data Centers Power Construction Job Growth in September
How the numbers fit the broader jobs report
Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment increased by 29,000 in September, and the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, the BLS reported. The 11,000 construction increase is one industry’s contribution to the payroll total; the 2,100 increase in wood product manufacturing is another industry’s result. The figures do not establish that wood-product hiring caused construction hiring or that the two gains reflect a directly linked supply chain.
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Month-to-month estimates can also move after publication. In the October 2 release, the BLS revised total nonfarm payroll changes for July from +21,000 to -10,000 and for August from +162,000 to +133,000—a combined downward revision of 60,000. That revision applies to total nonfarm payrolls; it should not be treated as a revision of construction or wood product manufacturing employment.
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The BLS marks September industry figures as preliminary. Estimates can change as additional employer reports arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. The figures are national U.S. estimates, and the reported monthly industry changes are seasonally adjusted. Read them as an initial estimate of payroll employment, not a final count or a measure of output.
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