Job opportunities for carpenters are expected to be plentiful through the year 2008, due primarily to extensive replacement needs. Thousands of job openings will become available each year as carpenters transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. The total number of job openings for carpenters is usually greater than for other craft occupations, because the carpentry occupation is large and the turnover rate is high. Because there are no strict training requirements for entry, many people with limited skills take jobs as carpenters but eventually leave the occupation because they dislike the work or cannot find steady employment. However, employment of carpenters is expected to increase more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2008.

Increased demand for carpenters will create additional job openings. Construction activity should increase slowly, in response to demand for new housing and commercial and industrial plants and the need to renovate and modernize existing structures. Opportunities for frame carpenters should be particularly good.

However, the demand for carpenters will be offset somewhat by expected productivity gains resulting from the increasing use of prefabricated components, such as prehung doors and windows and prefabricated wall panels and stairs, which can be installed very quickly. Prefabricated walls, partitions, and stairs can be lifted into place in one operation; beams—and in some cases entire roof assemblies—can be lifted into place using a crane. As prefabricated components become more standardized, builders may use them more often. In addition, improved adhesives will reduce the time needed to join materials, and lightweight, cordless pneumatic and combustion tools—such as nailers and drills—and sanders with electronic speed controls will make carpenters more efficient.

Carpenters can experience periods of unemployment because of the short-term nature of many construction projects and the cyclical nature of the construction industry. Building activity depends on many factors—interest rates, availability of mortgage funds, government spending, and business investment—that vary with the state of the economy. During economic downturns, the number of job openings for carpenters declines. New and improved tools, equipment, techniques, and materials have vastly increased carpenter versatility. Therefore, carpenters with all-round skills will have better opportunities than those who can only do a few relatively simple, routine tasks.