The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May employment report on Friday, with facilities support services adding 2,100 jobs in the U.S. since last month. Compared to last May, the industry saw an employment increase of 5.72% to 162,700 workers. 

Facility management is broken down into several categories. In addition to support services, the services to the buildings and dwellings industry segment also saw growth, with the 2,280,200 workers counted in May 2023, representing a 4.27% increase year over year. Repair and maintenance workers grew 3.87% to 1,442,400 this year.

Despite some growth, employment numbers have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels for facilities support services, which were down 1,600 jobs compared to February 2020, about a single percentage point lower. For those providing services to buildings and dwellings, there are higher levels of employment, however, with 101,400 more jobs, representing a 4.65% jump. Repair and maintenance service roles saw similar job growth at 4.63%. 

The latest employment numbers highlight ongoing labor issues facing the facilities management segment, with continuing wage increases and high employee churn leaving many managers struggling to keep their operation teams staffed. The rise in repair and maintenance service roles, however, points to a rise in sustainability-focused equipment upgrades, such as new HVAC filters and smart LED lighting. 

A recent field service operations report by Blumberg Advisory Group found that labor supply of W-2 and 1099 employees was the most significant factor for rising operating costs (25%), beating out rising costs of spare parts and tools (23%). 

As facility leadership continues to struggle with these factors, many have turned to outsourcing as a way to keep operational costs down. A recent CBRE procurement perspectives report found that 58% of organizations’ primary facilities management model is outsourced, with only 15% of respondents saying the majority of facilities management staff is in-house.