Towards deeper understanding of future craft shortages in the construction industry: Supply and demand sides

Craft labor shortages are a recurring problem of the U.S. construction industry over the past several decades. The current work examines the supply and demand of craft labor across different trades to better understand the magnitude of craft labor shortages. The craft worker supply and demand is quantified based on the prediction of real demand from future industrial construction projects by using Construction Labor Market Analyzer (CLMA) data. The results of our analysis show that the workforce shortage affects specific trades (e.g. electricians, pipefitters, and welders) in specific U.S. geographic regions (e.g. the Southwest and Southeast). Understanding potential new inputs into the craft labor supply is examined through a survey to measure young people's attitude towards working in the construction industry. More than 440 completed questionnaires were collected from participants at the SkillsUSA 2016 national championship competitions across different trades. Most of the survey respondents were between the ages of 15-24, the age group that are potentially interested in a career in construction. The statistical analysis shows that young people across different trades perceive the construction industry in different ways especially in regards to factors such as job opportunities, challenges in the work-life balance, and learning opportunities. Another interesting result is that although the industry desperately needs welders, the future welders have a relatively pessimistic attitude towards working in the construction industry. The results of this study will help the construction industry to understand how young people across different trades view construction and what aspects should be emphasized to attract them to a construction craft career.