Labor Shortages need Federal Action
Companies that construct North Carolina’s buildings, highways and utility infrastructure say continued difficulties finding workers have caused project delays this summer. Of 27 contractors in the state surveyed by the Associated General Contractors of America, more than half (59%) attributed development postponements to labor shortages. The annual workforce survey, released Wednesday, collected results over July and August. Most of the North Carolina respondents employ more than 50 workers, while five reported having more than 500. Labor Shortages need Federal Action.
Nearly every North Carolina firm noted they had openings for hourly positions and four out of five reported open jobs for salaried roles. This isn’t a new trend; around three quarters of North Carolina companies said it was just as hard to find talent in 2023. Asked what obstacles kept them from filling these jobs, contractors said the top two reasons were new hires quitting before or shortly after being hired and an overall dearth of qualified workers. This mirrored the results from the national survey, which polled 1,496 U.S. contractors. “The most likely path to addressing construction workforce shortages is for the federal government to adopt better workforce policies,” Jeff Shoaf, the association’s CEO, said during a briefing Wednesday.
Workforce Policies
Such policies, the association said, should include greater investment in workforce development and increased opportunities for legal immigration. In a summary analysis, AGC of America stated, “it costs more, takes longer and is less certain if a project will start on time because our nation hasn’t encouraged students to pursue careers in construction or allowed people to lawfully enter the country to work in construction.” Associated General Contractors of America conducted the survey with the construction employment software company Arcoro. The analysis called on the White House and Congress to allocate more money to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act when reauthorizing the program this year. Another step the association would welcome is for federal leaders to appropriate more to “in-school construction education programs” through the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.
Associated General Contractors of America touts itself as the country’s oldest and largest construction industry group, with more than 27,000 firms. In June, the association and the center-left think tank Progressive Policy Institute released a joint report on how the federal government prioritizes postsecondary education and workforce development funding.
The report contends federal and state money is funneled to support four-year college pathways, as technical training skills go comparatively overlooked.
Its authors point out more Americans never earn bachelor’s degrees but would still benefit from more training. “In days past, Americans could get good jobs that paid a family sustaining wage with just a high school diploma,” the report stated. “In today’s increasingly tech-enabled and data driven economy, most jobs require at least some postsecondary education.”
Source: Labor Shortages need Federal Action
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article291549630.html
https://www.techedmagazine.com/category/news-by-industry/construction-education/