Articles Tagged with ''labor shortage''

Construction lost 11,000 jobs in February as backlog softens and specialty trades see continued declines.

Legal Insights Expert Trent Cotney and Michele Meier, general manager at Clear Choice Restoration, say the proposed Dignity Act could create a structured legal pathway for undocumented workers, offering much-needed workforce stabilization for construction trades facing mounting labor shortages.

The association backs pro-growth policies, seeks project labor agreement repeal and workforce visa reform amid labor shortages, cost pressures and federal contracting changes.

Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of BLS data found the national construction unemployment rate fell to 5 percent in December 2025, with 60 percent of states posting year-over-year improvement and all but five states remaining below 8 percent.

The construction industry will need to attract hundreds of thousands of new workers largely to offset retirements and meet renewed spending growth, or risk worsening labor shortages that could drive up costs and slow critical infrastructure projects.

Alex Chausovsky warns that while the U.S. economy is holding steady, unresolved workforce shortages and immigration policy could pose serious challenges by 2027—making employee retention a top priority now.

From sweeping industry-shaping acquisitions to unprecedented labor disruptions, 2025 proved to be a year that tested—and redefined—the wall and ceiling construction industry.