{"id":29535,"date":"2025-03-16T02:33:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T09:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/after-5-years-construction-still-reels-from-covids-labor-impact\/"},"modified":"2025-03-16T02:33:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-16T09:33:25","slug":"after-5-years-construction-still-reels-from-covids-labor-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/after-5-years-construction-still-reels-from-covids-labor-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"After 5 years, construction still reels from COVID\u2019s labor impact"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/images\/audio_icon.svg?482016190122\" alt=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">6 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1741888971\/news\/text_to_speech\/covid-impact-construction-labor-five-years_qtkaoy.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On March 13, 2020, two days after the World Health Organization classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, the U.S. declared a public health emergency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Uncertainty swirled. Work of all kinds slowed. People isolated themselves, wore masks and worked or took classes on their devices from their kitchen tables, bedrooms or home offices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cBefore COVID hit, we were constantly in the conference room,\u201d said Ray Garfield, co-founder and chairman of Garfield Public\/Private, a Dallas-based P3 developer. \u201cWhether it was our place, or whether it was the architect\u2019s or the general contractor\u2019s, all of us were at the table. And then all of a sudden we&#8217;re not.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>But, as contractors cannot build structures remotely, many projects were deemed \u201cessential,\u201d which meant that in-person activities continued for most construction firms.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Headshot of Brandon Mabile.\" data-imagemodel=\"175921\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/ydPVfO6LCse3BhItobit-4ltVLeEyalBK74FVVaTyYo\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9CcmFuZG9uX01hYmlsZS5qcGc=.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Brandon Mabile<\/p>\n<p>Permission granted by Performance Contractors<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThe fact that construction was deemed essential likely saved the industry as we know it and kept hundreds of thousands of people employed,\u201d said Brandon Mabile, corporate business development director for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Performance Contractors. \u201cHad construction shut down, many skilled workers would have been forced to find new employment, and who knows how many would have returned to the industry when work finally resumed.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>At the same time, some projects were put on hold or scrapped entirely, and many workers were laid off as a result. In July 2020, CPWR \u2014 The Center for Construction Research and Training, found that nearly <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cpwr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/DataBulletin-July2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>1 million construction workers lost their jobs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, with more than half temporarily laid off.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Some chose to retire, a trend heightened the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/construction-labor-retirement-recruiting-dei\/651184\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>high median age in the industry<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, while others left construction or potentially chose not to pursue it due to the volatile nature of employment. When the contractors tried to hire them back a year later, workers had become both <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/despite-2020-layoffs-constructions-labor-woes-persist\/596117\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>harder to find and more expensive<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Contractors told Construction Dive that, in the early days of COVID, their top challenge was figuring out how to keep workers safe as building continued. Five years later, the industry is still struggling with the staffing aftermath.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>In office or on the job<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Garfield described the way his team adapted to working from home as \u201cfantastic.\u201d The change for jobsite workers was, obviously, different.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThe contractors had to be on site breaking ground, putting up steel and concrete. And that was more dangerous for them, more risky. But that was the business that they were in,\u201d Garfield said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Thomas Murphy, vice president of the aggregates division for Scottsville, New York-based Power &amp; Construction Group, lamented that the rules and guidance for safety with regards to COVID were ever changing, and varied between the state and national level.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>&#8220;As a utility and aggregate contractor, our employees work in very close proximity to each other on a daily basis,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThe rules being put out by the state were constantly changing, and we would have an executive team call every day at 4:30 p.m. This call would determine how we would do our work the next day and stay in compliance.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Headshot of Thomas Murphy.\" data-imagemodel=\"175920\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/WnZQeajEJO-IpL4jVGMpjV9REpVVIiP3IwmESlSBlbY\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9UaG9tYXNfTXVycGh5LmpwZw==.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Thomas Murphy<\/p>\n<p>Permission granted by Power &amp; Construction Group<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Murphy, whose firm builds electric substations and gas regulators for large power companies, said some jobsite employees refused to work due to their own health concerns, which meant the company needed to find more workers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>And contractors had to plan more to execute those jobs. Mabile said Performance Contractors had to factor in social distancing, health screening and in-demand personal protective equipment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe had to learn new ways to work safely in a pandemic environment,\u201d Mabile said. \u201cThis included staggering shifts and lunch times to decrease congestion and allow for social distancing.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For a global firm such as PCL Construction, the challenges of managing complexity and mitigating risks were high. For example, PCL had many <span>jobsites<\/span> with a high number of <span>craftworkers<\/span> not directly employed by the Edmonton, Alberta-based firm, with U.S. headquarters in Denver.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cSince our workforce included thousands of hourly trade workers without company email access, we leveraged jobsite signage, daily safety meetings and physical communications to keep them informed,\u201d said Andrew Ahrendt, director of national manufacturing at PCL.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Essential impact<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Though Mabile said he believes that construction becoming essential saved the industry, that classification didn\u2019t come immediately, nor was it universally beneficial.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The cost of projects went up, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/covid-impact-construction-prices-materials\/742087\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>in part due to supply chain issues<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, but also because contractors had to invest in more resources and expend more time figuring out how work could continue under safety guidelines.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As a result of the pandemic, Performance Contractors had two of its largest projects paused for over a year, Mabile said, which created the challenge of finding new work for employees.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Nonetheless, Murphy noted that in states like New York, construction doesn\u2019t continue at the same clip year round, as the cold winter months can shut down or slow work. Making construction essential ensured the projects could keep moving forward and not face further delays from outside factors like extreme cold or snow.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Lingering labor impacts<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The labor shortage existed before 2020, but COVID made it worse, contractors told Construction Dive.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cSome skilled workers did leave for new industries and many others chose to retire,\u201d Mabile said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The result, Ahrendt said, is that talent retention and recruitment have become \u201ceven more critical.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Headshot of Andrew Ahrendt\" data-imagemodel=\"175919\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/vN9ANwJgwrmW6HdrIKQY7WOELoL5Pg0vv7VUEaoJUoM\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9haHJlbmR0X2FuZHJld19oZWFkc2hvdC5qcGc=.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Andrew Ahrendt<\/p>\n<p>Permission granted by PCL<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cLabor shortages in the construction and manufacturing industries, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have underscored the importance of robust talent retention and recruitment strategies,\u201d Ahrendt said. \u201cBy investing in training and development, and promoting a positive and inclusive work environment, we can better navigate the challenges and secure a skilled workforce for the future.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"editor-note\">\n<p>Correction: The story has been updated to accurately reflect the location of PCL&#8217;s headquarters.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/covid-impact-construction-labor-five-years\/742445\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 6 min This audio is auto-generated. 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