Trump immigration crackdown could worsen construction worker shortage
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The construction industry needs to attract 439,000 new workers this year to meet demand, otherwise costs will rise — putting some projects out of reach — per projections from the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group out Friday morning.
Why it matters: Increased immigration during the Biden administration was a boon for the construction industry, which is perennially short on workers, but with the Trump administration cracking down on migration, progress could reverse.
- The issue takes on new urgency as swaths of Los Angeles need to be rebuilt in the aftermath of devastating fires.
- A coming surge in data center construction nationwide will also require resources.
By the numbers: Immigrants make up about 26% of the construction workforce, per census data cited by Pew Research Center last fall.
- The construction industry also employs the largest share of undocumented immigrant workers, among all other industries.
- An estimated 13% of construction workers are undocumented, per Pew.
What they're saying: ABC said it's been attracting more young workers, including high school graduates who aren't going to college.
- Plus, "faster-than-expected immigration over the past few years has also bolstered labor supply, and potential changes to immigration policy will likely constrain worker availability," the trade group's chief economist Anirban Basu said in a statement Friday morning.
- The trade group has long pushed for immigration reform.
