Dive Brief:
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Even as they struggle to fill vacant jobs, 80% of construction firms across all sectors plan to expand their payrolls in 2015, the Associated General Contractors of America said last week.
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Growing demand for private-sector construction will drive industry employment to its highest level in a decade, Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC’s CEO, said Thursday, when the association released its report, Ready to Hire Again: The 2015 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook.
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Employment growth this year could far outpace 2014, when 57% of construction companies increased their work forces.
Dive Insight:
Most of the contractors who plan to add to their staffs said they will expand their head counts by one-quarter or less. And it could cost them: 51% of firms said they have increased salaries in an effort to retain professional staff already on board, and 46% have bumped pay to hold onto skilled craft workers.
In fact, the firms reported that they’re having the most trouble recruiting qualified craft workers, project managers, supervisors and estimators.