In September 2026, nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 12,300 jobs while residential specialty trade contractors lost 7,900, according to AGC's analysis of federal jobs data. Construction pay averaged $39.20 an hour, up 4.3% year over year, while the pool of unemployed job seekers with construction experience fell 11% from a year earlier.

Your best technician already knows what the commercial shop down the road pays. September's jobs numbers show why.

What September's numbers show

The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction added 11,000 jobs in September 2026, with the construction unemployment rate at 3.5% (AGC, Oct 2, 2026). But the headline number hides a split: nonresidential specialty trade contractors, the category covering commercial electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing work, added 12,300 jobs, while residential specialty trade contractors lost 7,900 (AGC BLS table, Sep 2026). Specialty trade categories span HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors broadly.

Commercial work is pulling in trades labor at the same time residential shops are losing it.

Pay is up 4.3%. Is yours?

Average hourly earnings in construction hit $39.20, up 4.3% over the past year (AGC table). That's the number your pay scale is competing against. If your rates haven't moved in step, you're behind an entire segment of the industry that's adding workers and paying for them, not just the shop across town.

Fewer experienced job seekers

The number of unemployed job seekers with construction experience fell to 359,000, down 45,000, or 11%, from a year earlier (AGC). That's a shrinking pool of experienced people looking for work, which means a tech who leaves your crew is harder to replace than a year ago. Retention matters more now, in a tighter labor market.

5 ways residential shops compete

  • Pay: Benchmark against the $39.20 average, not against what you paid two years ago.
  • Schedule: Commercial work can mean more predictable hours. If residential service calls are eating evenings and weekends, say so, and tighten the schedule where you can.
  • A real career path: Apprenticeship tracks, certifications you'll pay for, and a visible path from helper to lead tech give a reason to stay beyond this paycheck.
  • Culture: The trucks, the tools, and how a crew treats each other are retention factors that cost nothing extra to get right.
  • Brand: A business that's known and respected in its market is easier to recruit for than one nobody's heard of.

Recruiting is marketing: careers page and Google profile

Your careers page and your Google Business Profile are recruiting tools whether you've treated them that way or not. A real careers page with actual pay ranges, photos of your current crew, and a clear application process signals stability to a tech weighing an offer from a commercial outfit. Reviews that mention techs by name, when customers volunteer that detail, show a prospective hire what it's actually like to work for you.

Matt's take

Pay comes up first when I talk to owners about keeping techs, but it's rarely the whole story. The crews that stick around tend to work for someone who's invested in the truck, the tools, and a visible path forward, not just the hourly rate. Pay has to be competitive, full stop, especially with a number like $39.20 sitting out there as the benchmark. But culture and a real path are what keep a tech from taking a call from a commercial recruiter in the first place.

If you haven't looked at your careers page or your Google profile with a recruiting lens, do that this month. In a labor market this tight, a weak page can cost you a hire you never noticed you lost.

FAQ

Did residential construction lose jobs in September 2026?
Residential specialty trade contractors, as a category, lost 7,900 jobs in September 2026, while nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 12,300, according to AGC's analysis of federal jobs data.
What was average construction pay in September 2026?
Average hourly earnings in construction were $39.20, up 4.3% from a year earlier, according to AGC.
Is it harder to find experienced trades workers right now?
The pool of unemployed job seekers with construction experience fell to 359,000 in September 2026, down 11% from a year earlier, according to AGC. A smaller pool of experienced candidates makes replacing a departing tech harder than a year ago.

Sources

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