Surveying and Mapping Services NAICS 541370

Oct 13, 2025 - Construction Job Openings Drop

• Job openings in the US construction sector declined in August at the fastest pace in nearly a decade, according to analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). At the end of August, there were 188,000 unfilled construction jobs, down about 115,000 from July and 116,000 fewer than in August 2024. The ABC's chief economist Anirban Basu said, "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. Contractors remain relatively optimistic about the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, yet recent data has made it abundantly clear that the construction industry is currently contracting." A pullback in construction activity could signal weaker demand for surveying and mapping services.
• Construction firms that work on civil infrastructure projects are holding steady as they manage uncertainties, including waning backlog growth and weaker margins, according to FMI’s third-quarter Civil Infrastructure Construction Index (CICI) survey. The CICI reading for the third quarter was 50.8 compared to 52.2 in Q2 2025 – on a 100-point scale. Any CICI reading above 50 indicates that more civil infrastructure contractors see conditions as good than poor. While about 52% of firms surveyed said their work backlogs had risen in Q3 2025 compared to a year earlier, only 25% expected backlog growth in Q4. While civil infrastructure firms expect backlogs to ease, margins remain under pressure from competitive bidding and higher costs. FMI expects firms to focus on project selection and cost controls to improve margins, as higher work volumes are a less reliable profitability boost.

• The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) increased 3.4% in September 2025 to 304.6 (2000=100), up from the revised August reading of 294.7. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which has been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. On a monthly basis, the commercial planning component improved by 4.7% and the institutional component increased by 0.9%. Dodge’s associate director of forecasting, Sarah Martin, said, "Planning momentum remained steadfast for data centers, healthcare, and public buildings throughout September and will correlate to stronger construction spending in early 2027. After a prolonged period of uncertainty, owners and developers are advancing projects into planning, but activity is expected to normalize in future months."
• Multifamily developer confidence rose in the second quarter of 2025, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) latest Multifamily Market Survey. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) increased two points in Q2 2025 to 46 compared to the second quarter of 2024. The Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) rose by one point to 82 over the same period. An MPI or MOI reading of 50 or more indicates that multifamily production or occupancy, respectively, is growing. Multifamily developers’ headwinds include a tight lending environment, higher borrowing costs, and regulatory difficulties. As multifamily projects currently under construction come online, the NAHB projects a modest gain in multifamily starts in 2025 compared to 2024, but starts will remain well below levels seen in 2023.