Three Solutions to Today's Labor Shortage

As the shortage of trade workers tightens, builders will have to look for a reprieve in new places to keep up with housing demand.

Reporting by MarketWatch points to three places the construction industry needs to look to ease labor troubles. The first is women. The NAHB’s 2016 calculations estimate that women make up only 9 percent of people in residential construction. With the right recruitment, that number has nowhere to go but up.

Immigrants, especially those from Mexico and other Latin American countries, have long been a demographic that construction has relied on for labor. But in the wake of the recession and the current administration’s crackdown on immigration, more Mexican immigrants have been leaving the U.S. than entering. To combat this, builders can take advantage of sponsor programs like H-2B visas for seasonal workers and lobby Congress to raise the current cap.

Finally, modular construction and other building innovations could do a lot to cut labor needs. In addition to saving time, constructing part or all of a home in a factory could cut costs, eliminate jobsite uncertainties, and increase safety.

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