First, the good news: construction employment has remained steady in 2019—despite recession fears and stock market jitters. Now, the bad news: 80 percent of construction firms report they are still struggling to fill hourly craft positions, according to an industry-wide survey released in August by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Specifically, construction employment increased in 39 states and D.C. from August 2018 to August 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But finding enough people to hire and train continues to be difficult—even though the average construction hourly wage surpassed $30 an hour in 2018.