Despite wider economic uncertainty, hiring activity across real estate and construction held up in H1 2026, and in several areas accelerated. Businesses were staffing active projects, responding to approved pipelines, and moving quickly to secure increasingly scarce talent.
The story of H1 was not uniform, but the direction was clear: where projects progressed, hiring followed.
The Drivers Behind Hiring Demand
The strongest hiring signals in H1 came from sectors with confirmed project activity on the ground.
Affordable housing was one of the most consistently active areas across the market. Projects that had been in development and planning for months moved into the construction and build phase, creating demand for both project management professionals and on-site construction leadership. Occupied rehab work within HUD, PACT, and NYCHA programs drove particularly sustained activity, with demand for experienced senior talent in that space outpacing available supply throughout the period.
Residential construction picked up notably in New York City, where the approval of more than 3,000 new residential units translated directly into hiring demand for superintendents and project managers. Commercial renovation, interior office and retail in particular, remained active as businesses continued to invest in workspace improvements.
On the development side, the picture was more cautious. Financing challenges and delayed project start dates slowed some hiring decisions, particularly for superintendent roles where businesses were waiting for confirmed construction timelines before committing. The luxury and condo new build segment saw limited activity, with not much new construction underway in NYC specifically.
Talent Availability and Market Competition
The clearest theme from H1 was this: the construction labor market is increasingly candidate-driven, and businesses that have not adjusted to that reality are struggling.
Available, experienced talent is scarce. Licensed DOC superintendents with solid tenure and proven longevity were among the hardest profiles to source consistently throughout the period. Senior leadership talent with HUD, PACT, and NYCHA program experience, particularly for occupied rehab roles, was critically short, with demand significantly outpacing supply across the market.
Competition for experienced professionals drove salary pressure throughout H1. Businesses that moved quickly and offered competitive compensation secured the talent they needed. Those that ran lengthy processes or came in below market rate lost candidates to faster-moving competitors.
The businesses best positioned heading into H2 were those that hired for cultural fit and long-term contribution rather than rushing to fill immediate gaps.
Skills and Project Experience in Demand
Across construction and real estate, the profiles that attracted the most consistent attention from employers shared a common thread: hands-on project delivery experience in complex or regulated environments.
Licensed DOC superintendents were in the highest demand of any single profile, with the uptick in NYC activity creating competition that stretched across the market. Project managers at the three to five year mark were consistently sought across affordable housing, commercial renovation, and residential construction, being experienced enough to manage independently while not yet priced out of reach for most hiring budgets.
On the development side, professionals with occupied rehab experience in federally funded programs remained the scarcest and most sought-after talent in the market. The regulatory complexity and operational demands of HUD, PACT, and NYCHA work mean this expertise cannot easily be substituted, and employers know it.
Leadership profiles with a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget, and the stability to stay with a firm through a project lifecycle, were consistently prioritized over those with broader but shallower experience.
H2 Outlook
The signals heading into H2 are broadly positive, particularly on the construction side. Affordable housing activity is expected to remain strong as projects continue moving through the pipeline from planning into active construction. The NYC residential approvals from H1 will drive sustained superintendent and project management demand through the second half of the year.
Development-side hiring is cautiously optimistic. The financing environment is stabilizing, and businesses that paused hiring decisions in H1 pending project confirmation are beginning to re-engage. The talent bottleneck, however, is not going away. Experienced candidates in high-demand profiles are already in conversations, and the market is only getting more competitive.
Employers who start their searches now, rather than waiting until a project is underway, will be in a stronger position. A 60-day lead time can be the difference between being ready and being behind.
The data in this article reflects real conversations happening across the real estate and construction market right now. For a closer look at what we are seeing, including which roles are hardest to fill, where salary benchmarks have moved, and what H2 hiring decisions look like in practice, download the Henderson Scott Real Estate and Construction H1 2026 Hiring Intelligence Snapshot.