The United States is facing a critical shortage of construction workers—a shortage so severe that it will impact the growth of our economy, says the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) after its recent survey of 2,200 respondents. Among those surveyed, 80 percent of construction firms reported experiencing a hard time filling positions, both hourly and salaried (those in the office, estimators, foremen and managers).
“All regions of the US are affected by severe craft worker shortages,” says the AGC. Among contractors in the West and South, 83 percent reported having a hard time filling hourly craft positions—a figure that’s almost identical to the 81 percent rate reported in the Midwest and 75 percent rate reported in the Northeast.
Autodesk, which along with Bentley and Trimble, specialize in software for AEC, are quick to point out that construction is getting more technical and using more technology will not only provide a competitive edge, but alsomake up for the labor shortage. A tech-savvy company can precisely model a building or an infrastructure project down to doorknobs, and that level of planning and detail will help to prevent the rampant waste (near 30 percent the cost of a project, according to Autodesk) on a construction site.
“Firms can innovate themselves into a greater efficiency,” says Allison Scott, head of construction integrated marketing at Autodesk. (Image courtesy of LinkedIn.)
“Firms can innovate themselves…