Labor shortages have been dragging on construction for so long now that the problem has become a routine part of running the business. A recent analysis from Indeed Hiring Lab found that the U.S. labor force has shrunk by roughly 700,000 workers so far in 2026. If the trend holds, it would mark only the fifth annual labor force contraction since 1948 and just the second outside a recession. Indeed points to an aging workforce and slowing immigration as part of the reason fewer people are available to work. For contractors, that matters because the industry was already trying to solve a labor problem before the overall worker pool started shrinking. Associated Builders and Contractors estimated construction would need about 349,000 additional workers in 2026. Associated General Contractors of America found in its latest workforce survey that 87% of firms had openings for hourly craft workers, and nearly nine in…
Labor shortages have been dragging on construction for so long now that the problem has become a routine part of running the business. A recent analysis from Indeed Hiring Lab found that the U.S. labor force has shrunk by roughly 700,000 workers so far in 2026. If the trend holds, it would mark only the fifth annual labor force contraction since 1948 and just the second outside a recession. Indeed points to an aging workforce and slowing immigration as part of the reason fewer people are available to work. For contractors, that matters because the industry was already trying to solve a labor problem before the overall worker pool started shrinking. Associated Builders and Contractors estimated construction would need about 349,000 additional workers in 2026. Associated General Contractors of America found in its latest workforce survey that 87% of firms had openings for hourly craft workers, and nearly nine in…
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