For the first time, Georgia was named the top state for construction in Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Merit Shop Scorecard. The scorecard, released yearly since 2015, ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on policies and programs that strengthen career pathways in construction, encourage workforce development and advocate for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects.
“Common sense conditions, policies and educational systems are vital in creating quality infrastructure built safely, efficiently and effectively for taxpayers,” said Ben Brubeck, ABC’s Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs. “More than 88 percent of the U.S. construction industry has already made the choice not to join a union, and the construction industry is facing a skilled labor shortage of more than half a million people. Anti-competitive policies only impede the vast majority of merit shop contractors from building and working in their own communities and further exacerbate the industry’s labor shortage. Taxpayers are best served by policy and educational priorities that create a level playing field for all contractors to compete.”