Washington, D.C.—The U.S. construction industry is predicted to be among the economy’s top 10 largest sources of job growth with total employment expected to reach 7.8 million by 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet estimates show that during this same time period, the need for new entrants of craft workers in construction will hit 185,000 annually.
“The construction industry is facing a workforce crisis that could threaten our nation’s economic vitality,” said Doug Pruitt, Chairman and CEO of Sundt Construction and Vice President of the Associated General Contractors of America (ż).
The construction industry is also experiencing a shortage of project managers and future leaders at a time when construction jobs, on average, pay 23 percent more than private-sector jobs. Certain areas of the country exceed this already high demand. For example, in 2005, the annual pay in construction in Louisiana averaged $36,100, 7 percent more than the private sector average. In the same year in Mississippi, the annual pay in construction averaged $32,570, 10 percent more than the private sector average.
The construction industry alone cannot solve the nation’s workforce problem. Pruitt called on government leaders, educators, owners and the construction industry to unite in an effort to address the root of the problem: America’s education system is leaving behind the majority of the students who need an education that prepares them to be a productive part of the workforce.
To learn more about the workforce problem threatening the nation, and listen to a video message from Pruitt. Click here for a fact sheet on the workforce crisis.
Note to reporters: To schedule an interview with Doug Pruitt, please contact Kelley Keeler at (703) 837-5310 or via e-mail at keelerk@agc.org.
ż of America (ż) is the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States. ż represents more than 32,000 firms, including 7,000 of America’s leading general contractors, and over 11,000 specialty-contracting firms. More than 13,000 service providers and suppliers are associated with ż through a nationwide network of chapters. Visit the ż Web site at . ż members are "Building Your Quality of Life.”