The construction industry’s ongoing struggle to attract and retain workers has led to more than half of construction firms in Texas to put higher prices into their bids or contracts, according to a survey conducted by Virginia-based Associated General Contractors.
In the survey, 78 percent of respondents reported “having a hard time filling some or all” skilled craftsmen. Eighty percent of respondents said that compared to one year ago, filling a pipe-layer job is more difficult now. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said the same thing about electricians and bricklayers. The survey netted 260 respondents from Texas construction firms.
To attract those kinds of workers, companies are having to spend more in salaries, incentives and bonuses, per the survey. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said their companies have increased base pay rates for skilled craftsmen because of how difficult it is to hire those kinds of workers, and twenty-eight percent of respondents said their companies have added extra incentives and bonuses for skilled craftsmen.
The strains aren’t just limited to hiring skilled craftsmen. Forty eight percent of respondents said that compared to one year ago, hiring project managers and supervisors has become more difficult.
Continue reading full article on Houston Business Journal.
