PEARLAND — Tired of construction delays? Contractors claim there is a shortage of skilled workers, according to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of America. They said the shortage could slow the economy.
It's 377 days after Hurricane Harvey swamped Dorothy and Ed Havelka’s house in Pearland they no longer sleep in their driveway camper. The family rests behind walls re-built by a contractor they waited months to find and make space for everyone.
“I wanted my kids to be in their rooms, not sleeping on the couch,” Dorothy Havelka said. “I wanted my family back together.”
Ivan Arguello is a virtual construction designer. His kind make building faster except when they are in demand.
According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 80 percent of contractors can’t find enough workers. Marek’s Director of Training, Sabra Phillips, sees it in Houston’s commercial market. Among the causes, she named controlled immigration and an aging workforce.
Her company now recruits more aggressively and lure skilled workers like Arguello with career paths to better jobs.
However, until more workers show up, even rebuilding homeowners will see delays.
“It’s across the board,” Phillips said. “When we have a shortage of workers it slows down our ability to deliver on construction projects that are improvements people need. That can also lead to stunted economic growth as well.”