Girl Scouts can learn about the benefits of a career in construction and earn a new patch: The House That She Built. “The shortage of skilled trade workers is a growing crisis for our country. Part of the issue is that...
While COVID-19 captured headlines in 2021, the story behind the scenes was about the skilled labor shortage. A 2021 third-quarter survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Royal Building Products...
On Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order requiring the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects over $35 million. PLAs, or collective bargaining agreements between...
The cost of materials is up, so availability is down. The cost of labor is up and availability is down. How can you plan for 2022 with these factors working against you? First, let’s look at the root cause. We are in this...
All over the country, our industry faces one common challenge: we do not have enough skilled workers to take on the projects in front of us. This has been a concern for many years, and it has only grown in its urgency as the...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the 2021 National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will be celebrated November 15–21. The weeklong celebration is designed to allow labor and business leaders, educational...
March is Women's History Month, which encourages people to become more familiar with the achievements and influence of women in today's society. As such, it's an ideal time to highlight the role of female electrical...
The latest report from USG Corp. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce confirm what contractors have known for a long time: It is difficult to find skilled labor. The "Q1 2019 USG Corporation & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial...
With more electricians currently exiting the workforce than joining, the electrical construction industry faces a well-documented shortage of skilled labor—to the tune of an estimated 85,000-plus unfilled positions by 2024...
The construction industry as a whole faces a shortage in labor supply that is expected to get worse. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a 13 percent overall increase in construction jobs through 2024 and a 5...
Many electrical contractors are plagued by a short-sighted view of workforce development, thinking that employee education and training falls outside their responsibility. They expect field electricians and office staff to...
The electrical construction industry continually keeps pace with new technologies, shifts in the labor market and more. Professionals working in this space can stay abreast of the latest developments by learning about...
According to an Aug. 29 press release from Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), 80 percent of construction firms are having a difficult time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the...
As the economy improves and unemployment rates decline, it becomes more difficult for electrical contractors to recruit and retain qualified employees. The number of skilled employees available to manage and install projects...
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its employment data for June with great news. However, with it comes an interesting nuance, further strain of the skilled-labor shortage, and concerns...
The construction industry is experiencing steady, but modest, job gains since 2011, when construction employment decreased sharply, according to a construction employment analysis from the National Association of Home...
According to data from the National Electrical Contractors Association, 7,000 new electricians join the industry each year, but 10,000 retire from it, leaving contracting firms and their customers struggling to manage a net...
Successful electrical contractors must keep pace with modern times, and one of the ways to do that is to recruit workers from the millennial generation. Statistics indicate contractors across the construction industry are...
It may sound like a broken record at this point, but the No. 1 priority for many in the trades remains solving the skilled labor gap that plagues contractors everywhere. As more tradespeople retire, there is no clear source...
Skilled labor shortages in construction are widespread and global. The challenge is in attracting the correct people to the industry while keeping skilled workers on hand as long as possible. The national unemployment rate...
