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Dayton Business Journal
Outlook
improves for construction -- if firms can find skilled workers
Kent Hoover
This year is shaping up to be a good year for the construction industry
-- if contractors can find enough qualified workers.
A survey of more than 800 construction firms by the Associated General
Contractors of America found that 41 percent plan to add workers this
year, compared with only 2 percent that plan layoffs. The rest either
plan no change in staffing or don't know yet.
Last year, 51 percent of construction firms added workers, while 23
percent laid of workers, and 26 percent stayed the same size.
"Contractors are more optimistic about 2014 than they have been in a
long time," said Stephen Sandherr, the trade association's CEO.
Construction firms expect demand to increase in 10 of 11 market
segments, particularly for private-sector projects such as offices,
manufacturing plants and retail/warehouse/lodging. Marine construction
is the only market where demand is expected to fall.
Finding qualified workers to meet this demand will be one of the
industry's biggest challenges. More than 60 percent of construction
firms report they're already having a hard time filling key
professional and craft worker positions, and many expect this problem
will get worse this year.
There aren't enough good training programs for construction jobs --
nearly half of firms say their local pipeline for preparing craft
workers is poor or below average. Nearly 80 percent said preparing the
next generation of skilled workers should be a top priority for policy
makers in Washington, D.C.
In some ways, Washington is hurting, not helping, the construction
industry, according to the firms. Nearly 80 percent report that health
insurance costs increased in 2013, and 82 percent expect them to
increase this year. More than 60 percent said repealing part or all of
the Affordable Care aAct should be a top priority for Congress...
Read the rest of the article at Dayton Business Journal
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