Construction Industry Struggles with Dwindling Labor Force

In the past, the construction work force has been maintained partly because construction workers can start with little training and work their way to a well-paid skilled position.

But the hard work, few benefits, seasonal layoffs and potential for injury common in the industry have made construction a less popular career choice. Construction companies are finding themselves forced to offer better benefits and other incentives to attract workers, said Tommy Wasson, vice president of Kinco Constructors of Springdale.

“Young people are just not wanting to get into construction, and we’re feeling it in Northwest Arkansas,” Wasson said. “I think it’s just a sign of the times. When I was growing up, it was kind of a neat thing to be in construction. Now, young people don’t want to get their hands dirty.”

He’s convinced the economy will suffer if the industry isn’t able to attract new workers. Construction often is portrayed in an undesirable light, and Wasson said more needs to be done to promote a positive image. After all, he said, construction workers built this country.

The construction industry needs 250,000 new craft workers per year to replace its aging and retiring work force, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors.

Finding someone to dig a ditch and do unskilled manual labor isn’t as difficult as finding workers who’ve stayed in the industry long enough to become skilled craftsmen, Wasson said.

Gloria Lackey, controller for Buildings Inc. of Springdale, said finding dependable workers is also a big problem for the industry. Buildings Inc. now contracts for new employees with a temporary agency. If the employee is reliable, Lackey said Buildings Inc. usually will hire him after 30 days.

The company has about 50 employees, who are offered a retirement savings plan and paid holidays and vacation. Health insurance isn’t offered. Lackey said it’s difficult for construction companies to commit to health insurance when they don’t know what kind of profits they’ll have from year to year.

Richard Watson of Designtech Builders in Springdale employs fewer than 10 people and has had to provide better benefits to keep a steady crew. It seems to be working. Watson said he’s had the same framing crew for the last four years. He offers them insurance, and paid holidays and vacations.

The hourly wage for a skilled carpenter is about $15, while a new unskilled laborer may only make $7-$8 per hour, Watson said.

Building Spanish

Wasson said Kinco recruits a lot of Hispanic workers. About half the company’s work force is Hispanic, he said.

Most of the Spanish-speaking employees know enough English to work efficiently at the job, but the company also has a few who serve as interpreters when needed, Wasson said.

Camryn Bowen of Springdale has developed a program for construction companies to help them handle Spanish on the job site. Bowen started a business in March 2001 that’s designed to teach construction superintendents basic Spanish communication tailored for their job. Bowen offers the construction program, called Hard Hat Spanish, through her company, Dealing with Spanish.

The Hard Hat Spanish program includes individualized training sessions as well as a work book, pocket dictionary and CD to help back up the training.

She’s actually gone to construction sites, listened to the work-related discussion and built a vocabulary in Spanish for construction supervisors.

In addition to basic job language, Bowen said she also teaches the supervisors how to explain safety rules and procedures.

“It’s real quick communication, relevant to daily life,” Bowen said.

In two five-hour training days, Bowen said, she can teach a superintendent 60 to 70 percent of what is in the work book.

The workers are more satisfied and the work goes better if communication is improved. Bowen explained that learning basic job site Spanish stops a construction company from moving a Spanish-speaking worker off his job just to interpret for another.

Although she’s limited to the construction industry right now, Bowen hopes to expand to include other industries.