The construction industry lost 3,000 jobs between July and August as ongoing declines in nonresidential segments offset a pickup among residential building and remodeling firms, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said their newly released survey shows many contractors are eager to hire but are encountering a lack of qualified applicants and supply-chain delays that are holding back nonresidential employment gains.
“Today’s figures show that nonresidential building and infrastructure contractors are having a hard time recovering from the impact of the pandemic on demand for structures,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “At the same time, our survey finds many contractors have job openings but are experiencing a lack of qualified applicants, shortages of materials and long delivery delays.”
Construction employment in August totaled 7,416,000, a drop of 3,000 from July. Employment among nonresidential firms—comprising heavy and civil engineering construction firms, along with nonresidential building and specialty trade contractors—shrank for the fifth month in a row, by 20,300. In contrast, homebuilders and residential specialty trade contractors added 17,400 workers, the fourth-straight gain.
Despite the job losses for nonresidential construction firms, the association’s annual workforce survey, conducted with Autodesk, found many of its members—nonresidential and multifamily contractors—have unfilled job openings. Ninety percent of the more than 2,100 firms that responded had openings for hourly craft workers, while 62% had openings for salaried employees. Overwhelming percentages of firms with openings reported having a hard time filling positions, including 89% of the companies seeking craft workers and 86% of those looking for salaried employees.
Contractors are facing multiple challenges. Seventy-two percent of survey respondents reported that available job candidates were not qualified. Three-quarters of the firms reported projects were delayed due to longer lead times or shortages of materials, while 57% reported delivery delays.
Association officials called on officials in Washington to address both immediate and long-term needs for the construction industry. They urged lawmakers to finish work on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill and provide more funding for career and technical education programs that will attract and prepare more people for high-paying careers in construction.
“Contractors are eager to hire more workers but they need Washington officials to make sure there is enough funding for vitally needed infrastructure to justify hiring,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “In addition, more federal money should be going into preparing workers to execute these projects.”
Click here for the association’s survey results.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Jan 16, 2020
EC firms with a clear ‘digital roadmap’ should excel in 2020
Deloitte, in new report, lays out a risk mitigation strategy that relies on tech.
Market Data | Jan 13, 2020
Construction employment increases by 20,000 in December and 151,000 in 2019
Survey finds optimism about 2020 along with even tighter labor supply as construction unemployment sets record December low.
Market Data | Jan 10, 2020
North America’s office market should enjoy continued expansion in 2020
Brokers and analysts at two major CRE firms observe that tenants are taking longer to make lease decisions.
Market Data | Dec 17, 2019
Architecture Billings Index continues to show modest growth
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 51.9 for November reflects an increase in design services provided by U.S. architecture firms.
Market Data | Dec 12, 2019
2019 sets new record for supertall building completion
Overall, the number of completed buildings of at least 200 meters in 2019 declined by 13.7%.
Market Data | Dec 4, 2019
Nonresidential construction spending falls in October
Private nonresidential spending fell 1.2% on a monthly basis and is down 4.3% from October 2018.
Market Data | Nov 25, 2019
Office construction lifts U.S. asking rental rate, but slowing absorption in Q3 raises concerns
12-month net absorption decelerates by one-third from 2018 total.
Market Data | Nov 22, 2019
Architecture Billings Index rebounds after two down months
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score in October is 52.0.
Market Data | Nov 14, 2019
Construction input prices unchanged in October
Nonresidential construction input prices fell 0.1% for the month and are down 2.0% compared to the same time last year.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 7, 2019
Multifamily construction market remains strong heading into 2020
Fewer than one in 10 AEC firms doing multifamily work reported a decrease in proposal activity in Q3 2019, according to a PSMJ report.