March 2026 Market Trends Report

Sector-by-Sector News: March 2026

Aviation Jobs Report

Month-over-month jobs change: +900

Year-over-year jobs change: +7,800

The aviation industry has retained a strong hiring cycle even as the broader market has slackened over the past year. Employment has risen at a near constant clip since 2021, showing resilience in the face of geopolitical, trade and inflation turbulence.

Thanks to increased demand, aviation employers have experienced persistent imbalance between new technicians entering the workforce and experienced workers retiring or exiting the field.

What’s unique about 2026, is hiring has risen across nearly all aviation sectors. As demand for skilled workers continues to sweep the industry, available talent pools diminish.

At the same time, organizations must compete with other industries for experienced technicians, which is difficult given the demanding nature of aviation work.

In this market, disciplined capacity planning is critical. The companies performing best are building hiring forecasts into a broader talent strategy — one that prioritizes an attractive employee experience, scalable training, clear upskilling pathways and cross-utilization of skills to improve workforce flexibility.

Construction Jobs Report

Month-over-month jobs change: +26,000

Year-over-year jobs change: +57,000

The construction industry appears to be in full swing after a solid rebound of 26,000 jobs in March.

Through Q1, employers have added an average of 19,000+ jobs per month, making construction one of the strongest industries for growth this year. Compare that to 2025, which saw diminished employment overall.

Despite strength across all sectors, American Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu noted several headwinds that could challenge the industry through the rest of the year:

• Rising oil prices (the highest since 2022)
• Increased borrowing costs
• Geopolitical instability (driving energy price spikes)

The Construction Confidence Index reported relatively optimistic sentiments among contractors in line with project planning efforts. Economists and industry experts are eager to see how internal demand shakes out in Q2 next to macroeconomic pressures. 

Manufacturing Jobs Report

Month-over-month jobs change: +15,000

Year-over-year jobs change: -75,000

March Manufacturing PMI: 52.7%

*A PMI reading above 50% suggests economic activity is expanding.

Manufacturing activity expanded for the third time in a row after near continual contraction since November 2022.

Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported a March PMI of 52.7%, elevated from 52.4% in February with continued momentum across:

• Demand: increasing across all indices besides new export orders due to ongoing trade friction
• Output: expanded for the fifth consecutive month
• Prices: clocking in at 78.3% — the highest since June 2022 — rising costs were driven by steel, aluminum and petroleum-based products due to the Iranian conflict

Even as orders and production expanded, manufacturers remained cautious about hiring. The employment index contracted for the 30^th consecutive month, gaining 15,000 jobs month over month, yet declining by 75,000 year over year.

Despite positive movement across much of the index, overall panelist sentiment was 64% negative, suggesting real yet fragile momentum within the industry due to trade tensions and geopolitical instability sparking price surges and supplier delays. 

Warehousing & Storage Jobs Report

Month-over-month jobs change: -900

Year-over-year jobs change: -48,700

March Logistics Managers' Index (LMI): 65.7*

*An LMI reading above 50 indicated logistics are expanding. 

The LMI (Logistics Managers’ Index) had another strong reading, continuing its reversal of a long downward trend. The index surged from 61.5 in February to 65.7, its greatest expansion since May 2022.

This sharp incline was primarily driven by factors linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting throttle of oil flows:

While the larger transportation and warehousing industry added 21,000 jobs, warehousing and storage employers cut 900 positions month over month and close to -50,000 year over year.

Looking forward, LMI respondents expect continued strong expansion driven by extreme cost pressures and tightening transportation capacity.