This article originally appeared on MyNews13.
There are several new construction projects getting underway across Central Florida.
But one local contractor says times have been tough due to a looming labor shortage in the construction industry, which has been exacerbated by struggles to recruit younger workers.
The construction management firm, Hoar Construction, says the issue is that there is a shortage in skilled labor.
Project Executive at Hoar Construction, Brandon Smith, adds that a lot of the older generations, which includes skilled and experienced staff, are starting to retire out, leading to a need for younger talent.
Leaders are noticing a trickle effect that is leading to construction companies spreading their manpower thin as a result.
That’s why they say it’s important now more than ever to recruit and bring more women to the industry- that is predominantly centered by men.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about one in ten workers in the construction sector in 2024 were women.
What You Need To Know
- Labor shortage in construction industry shining a light on need for younger workers and women in predominantly male-dominated industry
- Construction leaders say women can help bridge the gap in a looming skilled worker shortage
- Experts say more experienced workers are retiring out and not enough backfill of younger talent in return
- According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 11.2% of women made up the construction industry in 2024
For nearly thirty years, Kelly Taylor has helped build many important Central Florida institutions, from schools in Seminole county to medical research centers in Orange County.
The DNA Parking Garage in Lake Nona is just one of her latest projects that she’s proud of.
It’s a sense of pride Kelly says she feels each time she completes a project, since each one has marked a specific milestone in her life.
“My third son, I was at Tuskawilla Middle School, Seminole County Public School job and then when I got divorced, I was at the University of Florida Research and Academic Center,” says Kelly Taylor, Project Manager at Hoar Construction.
But her industry has been facing a labor shortage since COVID and there have been difficulties recruiting younger workers ever since.
“It affects companies from spreading their manpower thin throughout sites, so instead of having a 1 ten-man crew, they may split that into 2 five-man crew and make them work a little harder or a little longer, work weekends,” says Hoar Construction’s Project Executive, Brandon Smith.
Smith believes it’s because a growing number of youths are avoiding going to trade school for a variety of reasons, with higher costs being one of them.
He has also noticed less of an appeal toward the different construction trades, and instead, a greater desire for managerial positions.
The biggest focus now, he says, is making sure the benefits and pay are in line with the rest of the construction industry — adding that his recruitment office does extensive checks to ensure salaries remain above expectations.
And — getting the word out.
“We visit high schools to try to get them interested. Boys, girls, you know what I mean. So everybody doesn’t have that track to go to college, but we also, at the same time, go to the career fair at the colleges,” Taylor said on the various programs offered by construction companies including Hoar.
Smith said it’s encouraging to see more women joining the industry, especially at a time when it is struck by a looming labor shortage.
Women like recent University of Florida graduate Dana Steel who has gone from pre-construction to project management in the span of eight months.
“Yes, there are far fewer women in the office and in the field than men. But it’s never deterred me from not doing what I’ve now really come to love, and I think I’m good at,” Steel said.
Even though she says she wasn’t deterred by this gender gap, Steel recognizes that there are still a lot of women who wouldn’t be comfortable coming into this industry knowing how male-dominated it is.
That’s why Steel enjoys doing outreach through the Rinker Women’s Construction Network, which connects students from the University of Florida’s Rinker School of Construction Management with alumni like herself.
Despite some of these challenges, Taylor says she is happy with the progress she has seen so far, compared to when she first started nearly three decades ago.
“It’s taken a lot to get to this point and I know we still have a little bit to go, but just that idea of you don’t even have to have an interview,” Taylor said.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there has been a steady increase in the percentage of women in the construction industry in the last couple years.
In 2023, an average of 10.8% of women made up the construction industry. That number went up to 11.2% in 2024.
