More Construction Jobs Available, but Labor Shortage Worsens

US contractors are eager to hire, but finding skilled workers is becoming more difficult, finds survey

Construction laborers work on the site of a new residential building in the Hudson Yards development in New York City on Aug. 16, 2016. With the tightening labor market, there are not enough Americans available to take infrastructure jobs, say industry experts. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

U.S. job openings surged to record-high levels this year as companies have struggled to find people with the talents they need. The skills shortage is a broad issue that has become even more pressing for the construction sector, experts say, but the Trump administration has several proposals aimed at correcting the problem.

More than 90 percent of construction firms have reported that they are having a hard time hiring qualified workers, according to findings from The USG Corporation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (CCI).