Demographic, societal trends bode poorly for future construction workforce

Demographic, societal trends bode poorly for future construction workforce 0 dbarista Tue, 10/01/2024 - 14:40 Contractors U.S. employers will soon face “the largest labor shortage the country has ever seen,” according to a report from Lightcast, a labor market data and analysis firm. The problem will be especially acute in fields like plumbing, HVAC, and auto maintenance.  Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor The ‘largest labor shortage the country has ever seen’ is coming, according to a new report. Contractors Codes and Standards Industry Research U.S. employers will soon face “the largest labor shortage the country has ever seen,” according to a report from Lightcast, a labor market data and analysis firm.The problem will be especially acute in fields like plumbing, HVAC, and auto maintenance. The labor force as a whole is being challenged by Baby Boomers retiring, falling childbirth rates, and a shrinking cohort of working age adults participating in the labor force.For construction and trades, the problem is worsened by younger generations seeking office-based jobs requiring a college degree, prime working-age men exiting the labor force due to increased substance abuse and incarceration, and women filling less than 2% of jobs in traditionally male-dominated fields.The only growth in the U.S. labor force since 2019 is due to immigration and foreign-born workers, the report says.