Including the District of Columbia and 37 states, an analysis of data provided by the labor department of Associated General Contractors of America shows that construction employment has expanded.
“Construction continues to grow overall, but fewer states are participating in the expansion than was true a year ago,” Associated General Contractors of America Ken Simonson said. “The uneven growth reflects the cross-cutting trends in the overall economy, as tight government budgets, plunging commodity prices and weak overseas demand lead to project cancellations in some states even while activity accelerates elsewhere.”
However, officials from the Associated General Contractors of America report that contractors in different parts of the country where construction is demanded are saying that there are shortages of qualified workers available to fill in positions. They went on to clarify that, as construction demand grows, the severity of these shortages will grow as well, possibly driving up prices.
“Education officials need to include high-paying jobs in construction among the career choices they encourage and help prepare students to pursue,” Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said.
Associated General Contractors of America formal position of the matter is to urge federal, state and local officials to act in accordance with the measures the association has lined out in its workforce development plan.
source: AED
