Seventy percent of construction contractors in the United State report having a hard time finding hourly craft workers, and more than 35 percent are having a hard time hiring salaried office and field employees, according to a study released August 29 by the Association of General Contractors of America and Autodesk.
The latest figure is up slightly from the AGC’s 2016 survey which found that 69 percent of responding firms were having a hard time filling positions. The 2017 figure is still well below 2015’s 79 percent.
However, the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in the last week will likely cause even more consternation to contractors in and around Texas.
AGC chief economist Ken Simonson says the flooding and damage brought by the storm will add to the worker shortage in Texas and in surrounding states, as it will divert workers from other projects.
“A lot of projects will be delayed in the state,” he said during a conference call to discuss the survey results.
According to the 2017 survey, the five most difficult hourly positions to fill are for carpenters (58 percent had difficulty hiring), bricklayers (53%), electricians (53%), concrete workers (51%) and plumbers (50%).
