As Construction Heats Up, So Does Worker Shortage
Date Posted: September 10, 2015
Posted In: Workforce,
From USAToday: Construction of homes and commercial buildings is up significantly this year but the industry would be sizzling if not for a critical shortage of workers, industry officials say.
The labor crunch is delaying projects, raising home prices and forcing companies to turn down work, which in turn curtails building activity and economic growth.
Spot labor shortages began in 2012 as new construction slowly came to life following the 2000’s real estate crash. But they’ve spread across most of the country and have been accentuated this year by a strong recovery in both residential and commercial building.
“I would go so far as to call it an epidemic,” says Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders.
Nearly 70% of home builders surveyed by his group in June reported a shortage of carpenters, for example, up from 63% a year ago. And in a July survey by Associated General Contractors, 86% of commercial builders said they’re having trouble filling hourly or salaried positions, up from 83% last year.
Many construction workers left the industry during the downturn to become truck drivers, factory workers or roughnecks in the then-booming oil industry. Most aren’t returning even as building activity rebounds, Howard says.