This is another of those recurring themes that I blog about because, unfortunately, the problem still exists. And according to a recent study that was done by the Association of General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk, the problem sounds like it’s getting worse.
Their industry-wide survey shows that 80% of construction firms in the US are having a hard time filling skilled positions. And these are the jobs that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. The survey also breaks down the numbers in four regions of the country: Midwest, Northeast, South, and West.
The survey also asked about how firms expect the labor market to change over the next 12 months and gave response choices, “It will continue to be hard to hire,” “It will become harder to hire,” “It will continue to be easy to hire,” “It will become easier to hire,” and “No change.”
The AGC’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, says, “Workforce shortages remain one of the single most significant threats to the construction industry. However, construction labor shortages are a challenge that can be fixed, and this association will continue to do everything in its power to make sure that happens.”
Still, the AGC is asking for help from the federal government. The organization would like lawmakers to step in and provide more funding for careers and technical education programs. The AGC would also like it if new immigration laws were written with the construction industry in mind and to allow more immigrants into the country so they can fill job vacancies.
You can find more details at agc.org/news.
Not only is the data from the survey organized into regions; state-by-state statistics are also available.
