Nearly every type of building component used in the construction process has decreased in cost in recent years according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Producer Price Indexes (PPI), despite increased construction spending and growing demand for all types of materials:

• The price of aluminum mill shapes and steel mill products decreased by double digits in 2015.

• Between 2010 and 2015, the cost of copper and brass mill shapes have declined substantially, while flat glass costs remained steady.

• Between March 2014 and March 2015, the price of

By: Jamie Fettkether
President, Construction

One would think that after millions of layoffs during the Great Recession that there would be plenty of workers available to meet the growing demand for construction. But the opposite is true.

The industry is facing a shortage of available workers at a time when construction demand is exploding. The number of unemployed construction workers is at a 14-year low, according to federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Construction employment expanded in 249 of our 358 metro areas, between March 2014 and March 2015. The AGC also reported that 83 percent of contractors are struggling to find enough qualified skilled labor.

Many of the workers who lost their jobs during the economic downturn either switched careers or retired.  The industry hasn’t recruited and trained near enough new workers to replace those lost, and the situation likely won’t improve anytime soon.