Having a hard time filling hourly positions? So are 80% of construction firms, according to an industry-wide survey from Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Craft worker shortages pose a significant risk to future economic growth as the demand for construction continues to grow.
“With a rise in the share of firms having trouble finding skilled craft workers, it’s evident that we need to reskill the future workforce,” said Sarah Hodges, senior director, construction business line with Autodesk. “Technology can help bridge this gap, and more firms are bringing training in-house to implement digital strategies such as building information modeling (or BIM) to ease staffing challenges and train the next generation of industry professionals.”
Due to the tight labor market conditions, firms are adjusting their operations and increasing base pay, improving employee benefits and providing incentives to attract workers, according to the survey.
In response to the growing problem, AGC recently released a Workforce Development Plan, which can be found here, along with regional and state results and analyses.