Skilled labor isn’t the bottleneck we’re heading toward, it’s the one we’re already paying for.

The construction labor shortage isn’t coming.

It’s already here.

Most firms can’t find qualified workers. Jobs get delayed not because of materials or permits, but because the people simply aren’t there. And with a huge chunk of the workforce set to retire over the next decade, this isn’t a short-term hiccup.

This isn’t about “people not wanting to work.”

It’s about an aging workforce, an entire generation pushed away from the trades, owners wanting speed and certainty without paying for it, GCs stretched thin, and subs carrying risk they were never meant to hold.

The result?

Delayed projects. Blown schedules. Burned-out teams. Real money lost.

Until skilled labor is treated like a strategic asset, not just a line item, this only gets more expensive.

How are you seeing this play out in your market? And as an industry, what do we actually need to do to bring new talent into the trades?