The U.S. construction industry must hire an additional 650,000 workers in 2022 to meet the expected demand for labor, according to a model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors.
The 650,000 total is in excess of what is needed to keep up with the normal pace of hiring in 2022. ABC’s model uses the historical relationship between inflation-adjusted construction spending growth, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Value of Construction Put in Place survey, and payroll construction employment, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to convert anticipated increases in construction outlays into demand for construction labor at a rate of about 3,900 new jobs per billion dollars of additional construction spending.
“ABC’s 2022 workforce shortage analysis sends a message loud and clear: The construction industry desperately needs qualified, skilled craft professionals to build America,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO, in a news release. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in November and stimulus from COVID-19 relief will pump billions in new spending into our nation’s most critical infrastructure, and qualified craft professionals are essential to efficiently modernize roads, bridges, energy production and other projects across the country.”
Based on historical Census Bureau Job-to-Job Flow data, an estimated 1.2 million construction workers will leave their jobs to work in other industries in 2022. This will be offset by an anticipated 1.3 million workers who will move from other industries to construction.
Related Stories
| Jul 26, 2013
Detroit’s problems may make blue infrastructure codes more likely
The City of Detroit’s financial problems may make it more likely to adopt blue infrastructure standards.
| Jul 26, 2013
Cities should reconsider rooming houses to build affordable housing stock, says expert
Building codes have effectively outlawed the bottom end of the private housing market, driving up rents on everything above it, argues the Sightline Institute's Alan Durning.
| Jul 17, 2013
WorldGBC, IFC pledge to rapidly scale up green construction in emerging markets
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) are collaborating to rapidly scale up the construction of green buildings in emerging markets.
| Jul 17, 2013
Louisiana governor signs $250 million bill for 29 community college projects
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law this month a bill that provides $251.6 million for 29 projects at Louisiana Community and Technical College campuses.
| Jul 17, 2013
U.S. House continues to block enforcement of light bulb standards
The House of Representatives last week voted to block the enforcement of light bulb standards that many say would effectively force people to buy more expensive compact fluorescent bulbs.
| Jul 17, 2013
Should city parking space requirements be abolished?
Some cities are deliberately discouraging construction of new parking spaces by allowing the construction of buildings with a lower ratio of parking spaces to dwellings (as low as 0.75 spaces per residence).
| Jul 17, 2013
EPA continues work on new federal stormwater regulations that are expected to impact development
The Environmental Protection Agency continues to develop new stormwater regulations that are expected to force project developers to write stormwater considerations into designs.
| Jul 11, 2013
DOE releases stricter energy efficiency standards for new federal buildings taking effect in 2014
The Energy Department released stricter energy efficiency standards this month for new federal buildings.
| Jul 11, 2013
Pennsylvania legislators work on bill to update demolition codes following fatal building collapse
Pennsylvania lawmakers are working on a bill to update demolition codes, in the wake of a fatal building collapse in Philadelphia in June.
| Jul 11, 2013
Lawsuit challenges modular apartment project in New York City
A plan to build pre-fab apartment buildings at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been challenged by a lawsuit filed by the Plumbing Foundation in Manhattan Supreme Court.