With employment in the construction industry falling by 2.3 million from 7.7 million between 2006 and 2011, and remaining 1.3 million below its peak, builders are hampered trying to find qualified workers. The would-be construction workers who came of age during the Great Recession and aftermath sought employment elsewhere. Construction work offers decent pay for those without college degrees, as wsj tells MHProNews.

While the industry is used to highs and lows, this last downturn was dramatic. “The difference this time is that a whole generation left the business and they didn’t come back,” said John Gillilan, operations manager at Bothell, Wash.-based Element Residential Inc. “So there’s a vacancy in the ranks at almost every company.” It remains as a lost opportunity for many young men, especially.

There is a short window of opportunity in the field because of the wear and tear on the body. Tom Wood, Chairman of the National Association of Home builders (NAHB), said, “So all the guys that were 55, 45 years old [in 2005 and 2006] they have retired out of being a framing carpenter. Framing carpenters don’t work until they’re 65 years old and retire. They can’t—their bodies don’t take it.”

Many of the most experienced workers have aged out of the work, and not only is their ability lost, but the opportunity to do on-the-job training with new workers is also lost, which could lead to delays and higher construction costs. If the housing industry picks up suddenly, where will the workers come from? ##

(Graphic credit: U.S. Dept. of Labor and Wall Street Journal)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily business News-MHProNews.