Student Corner: Addressing Construction Labor Shortages Post-Pandemic

<p>Labor shortages are not new to the construction industry, but the pandemic has added fuel to an already urgent issue. With an aging workforce vulnerable to economic shocks, the construction industry has seen sharp rises and falls in the last 20 years, increasing safety and quality concerns. Since 2000, North Carolina has seen a decline in total construction employees, despite steady increases in average weekly wages (shown in the table below). The pandemic stalled employment growth and demand temporarily, but recently demand has been rising again, especially in new residential development and rehabilitation, with many North Carolina construction businesses looking to hire multiple new employees.</p> <p> </p> <p>QCEW 2000-2020, North Carolina Department of Commerce</p> <p> </p> <p>Labor availability has long been a key challenge in surveys of construction employers such as  the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. Many specialized trade workers, such as electricians, are aging. According to Tim Norman, Head of the N.C. State Board of Examiners for electricians, in 2019 over 70% of the 13,000 licensed electricians in the state were 51 or older and less than 1% were under the age of 30. Additionally, many construction companies point to a generational shift in how construction is perceived, as the last two decades have seen increasing focus on 4-year college degrees. With less young individuals entering the industry, the median age of construction workers across the United States has risen, prompting the creation of numerous workforce development initiatives at local, state, and federal levels aimed at bringing younger generations into the industry.</p> <p>With the [...]</p>