Skilled home construction laborers needed now more than ever

Home builders throughout the country are finding it difficult to keep up with demand in today’s housing market. A report from the Associated General Contractors of America revealed that 70 percent of contractors struggle to find craft workers in the residential construction industry.

Sable Homes General Manager, Karin Kay, explained the labor shortage home builders are experiencing now began during the recession 10 years ago.

“A lot of our skilled laborers left Michigan,” she told WZZM 13 Grand Rapids. “Those people have made a place for them in those other states, and it’s hard to get them to come back.”

Kay said fixing the labor shortage issue starts with showing young people the benefits of working in trades.

“Your child can be just as beneficial to society by becoming a framer or a roofer,” she said. “It’s just changing how we look at things.”

For more, read the entire story on WZZM 13.