According to the Dallas Morning News, 80% of the nation's construction companies are having a hard time finding the skilled workers they need. The data comes from the Associated General Contractors of America, which surveyed more than 2,000 construction firms across the U.S., including 210 in Texas. The number is higher in Texas, with 84% of the firms surveyed reported having ongoing trouble hiring for skilled hourly worker positions.
When it came to hiring for salaried positions, 60% reported having trouble. The companies said they had the most difficulty hiring project managers and supervisors compared with the previous year. A majority of firms reported shortages in almost every trade in the survey, including iron workers, plumbers, truck drivers and carpenters.
Cement, concrete and plumbing professionals were harder to hire in Texas compared with what firms reported nationally, according to the survey results. The association has been surveying and assessing worker shortages in the U.S. since 2013 and pushing for career and technical training programs to solve them.
The continuing worker shortage is a "particularly troubling" issue for every region of the U.S., the group says. "If left unaddressed, construction workforce shortages could undermine broader economic growth," said AGC chief economist Ken Simonson. "Firms can only stretch schedules and hold their costs so much before demand for new construction projects is jeopardized."
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