The Struggle Is Real

According to a recent news article published by CBS News, more than 2 million new construction workers are needed over the next three years to meet the demand. The struggle to fill jobs across the country is an increasing problem and employers are realizing that attracting new talent isn’t as simple as it used to be. The Biden Administration has been working on a plan called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which estimates that up to 2 million new jobs per year for a decade would be created if this plan is passed. Many of those jobs would be in the construction industry.  

The plan looks great on paper, however, in a country that is already struggling to fill jobs, an increase of job opportunities might not be beneficial to introduce in a period of extreme labor shortages.

So why is there such a problem with finding new employees?  Over the past two years, Americans have received stimulus checks from the government in an effort to assist during the pandemic. This and other factors may have contributed to the labor shortage the country is now facing.  Americans have money which allows them to be a little more selective with what job they want to take.

Attracting New Employees

Businesses have an important job in attracting new employees.  Finding workers in different ways will be dire for the growth of most businesses across the country, especially in the construction industry.  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30.7% of construction workers are Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% are African American, only 2% are Asian and a shocking 9.9% of construction workers are women. These statistics are concerning in a time where forward thinking and racial equality takes precedence. Employers are working to create more push to hire women and people of color, but negative discernments of the industry exist. If the negative stigmas can change, the new hire rate may increase overtime.

Construction in the Future

Technological advances in innovation within the construction industry are quickly taking place, which could provide an opportunity to attract a new type of worker.  Many people don’t consider a job in construction because they’re not aware of the advances the industry has experienced over the years. New developments such as 3D printing and robotics, augmented and virtual reality devices, rugged job site devices and unmanned aerial vehicles are all being used within the industry to enhance the efficiency of each job.

These technological advances and a push to hire people of all racial backgrounds are factors that may help to entice a new demographic. Along with these improvements, employers might have to consider increasing the pay and adding attractive benefits to peak a potential employee’s interest. Americans are getting strategic with what jobs they want to take, so seeing a company actively take steps to support its employees of all backgrounds and offer competitive compensations are two major pulls Americans on the job search might be attracted to.

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