Craft construction workers difficult to come by in Missouri

(The Center Square) – Missouri’s construction industry is facing a shortage of workers, leaving many to wonder if 2021 will be a productive, successful year for the industry.

More than half of the respondents to the survey by Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction reported difficulty filling craft positions.

“Factors contributing to [the shortage] are many, including the image of construction careers in both young people and parents’ minds, removal of technical programs from elementary and secondary education and a general misunderstanding of the skills and cognitive abilities needed for a construction career,” Leonard Toenjes, president of Associated General Contractors of Missouri, told The Center Square. “There are myriad steps being taken by contractors, trade associations and labor unions to help inform folks about the benefits of a construction career choice.”

Nearly half of respondents said they are doing as much business as one year ago, while one-third of respondents said they anticipate it taking six months before business volume returns to pre-pandemic levels.

“Construction work in Missouri and the St. Louis area should be relatively consistent in 2021 with the level of work experienced in 2020,” Toenjes said. “There are several large projects moving forward such as the soccer stadium, NGA project and I-270 that will keep contractors’ and workers’ employment relatively stable during 2021.”

Toenjes said that some projects have been postponed, but there have been very few, if any, cancellations. He also said that major challenges to growing the skilled workforce include recruiting and retaining workers of all types, both professional and craft workers, from all segments of society.

Another challenge is securing adequate infrastructure funding.

Those could be resolved, Toenjes said, if the general public had a better understanding of the construction industry.

“Infrastructure building is an investment, not an expense,” Toenjes said. “Public dollars spent on roads, bridges, locks, dams, sewers, etc. are funds that improve the quality of life for everyone and benefit generations for many years to come. Finding ways to help people earn a living, build something useful, and have a rewarding career are just a few of the benefits of infrastructure investment.”

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