Dive Brief:
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More than 80% of construction firms are struggling to hire enough carpenters, equipment operators, and laborers to work on their job sites, the Associated Generator Contractors of America reported Wednesday.
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And 61% are unable to fill vacancies for professionals, like project supervisors, estimators and engineers, the association said.
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The Southeast is experiencing the most severe shortage of construction workers, followed by the Midwest, the West and the Northeast.
Dive Insight:
Construction firms have implemented several strategies to cope: Using more subcontractors, employing staffing agencies, and raising wages so they can retain more employees. But association economists suggest that a more permanent solution is to focus on education—and especially on trade schools.