Persistent Labor Shortage

One of the most noticeable construction trends for the past few years has been an alarming labor shortage. We are at a moment in the construction cycle when labor is expensive and competitive. Robots may pick up a lot of the slack, though there appear to be few human replacement workers in the pipeline.

However, we will need more educated workers to manage and interpret the data produced by new technology. Fortunately, women are stepping up to fill some of this gap. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 9.9 percent of construction industry workers are women. However, trends show a 94 percent growth in female-owned construction firms from 2007 to 2018, with around 30 percent of companies promoting a woman to a senior position in 2018.

The industry is also placing their targets on recruiting Generation Z, those who are born between 1995 and 2010. Despite their perceptions of trade school, construction firms will be wise to point out the career growth potential of construction jobs, the value of trade school and apprenticeship programs, and the opportunity to experiment with new technology.