The construction industry has long faced a generational challenge in finding talent. The pandemic exacerbated this by forcing a lot of older workers out of the labor force.

It also, conversely, brought renewed attention to the trades from young people. The trades are a good option for people who are motivated to learn but not interested in a four-year degree. They also command high wages and are relatively recession-proof: good things for the millions COVID left out of work. We expect this to translate into an increase in construction workers, likely concentrated among trades where shortages were most acute in 2020 and 2021: bricklayers, cement workers, and pipelayers.  

Currently, 88% of the construction sector’s workforce is white and 89% is male, according to a 2022 McKinsey report. Attracting more diverse talent as quickly as possible is imperative, and we suggest employers should consider working with nontraditional sources of talent, like veteran-transition programs, formerly incarcerated individuals, and immigrants. Recently, AGC officials called on the government to allow employers to sponsor more foreign-born workers and support increased career and technical education to broaden options for workers to hone construction skills.