Per the National Association of Homebuilders*, 200,000 unfilled construction jobs exist within the United States. This number is the result of several factors:
- The housing market crash (this forced skilled workers to find new trades/retrain)
- Volatility of employment (construction remains a high turnover industry)
- Younger generations not choosing to work in the trades (public education attempts to put all students on a direct path away from vocational training) &
- Poor communication about job availability
Overcoming the applicant gap can be seen as a multi-tiered strategy:
- As the market continues to stabilize, consumer confidence grows, and workers will feel confident to return to their original trade(s)
- Construction remains a high turnover industry for a variety of reasons but employers can reduce turnover by providing a productive, safe, and comfortable work environment
- Reaching out to local school districts, vocational training programs, and apprentice opportunities can help ensure access to a well of young talent
- Utilizing social media to publish job availability. Make sure to also post images and video of what it’s like to work for the company. Millenials are almost as interested in company culture as they are in their pay rate.
*Source: http://www.nahb.org