Two-thirds of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that many firms are changing the way they pay and operate to cope, but warned that labor shortages could undermine broader economic growth and called for new workforce measures to improve the pipeline for recruiting and training new craft workers.
“With the construction industry in most of the country now several years into a recovery, many firms have gone from worrying about not having enough work to not having enough workers,” said Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer for the Associated General Contractors. “These shortages have the potential to undermine broader economic growth by forcing contractors to slow scheduled work or choose not to bid on projects, thereby inflating the cost of construction.”
Read full press release here. Listen to the audio recording of the call.
Materials:
- National Survey Results
- 2016 National Worker Shortage Survey Analysis
- VIDEO: How Bad Are Construction Worker Shortages?
Regional Results and Analysis:
State-specific Results and Analysis:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
You can also read Preparing the Next Generation of Skilled Construction Workers: A Workforce Development Plan for the 21st Century – the policy plan created by AGC of America to address growing worker shortages.