Have you noticed recently that the people you work with are getting older? If so, you’re not alone. The construction industry’s labor force is graying — and that could be a problem for the industry. In Alabama, the issue is getting attention from industry organizations. The Montgomery Advertiser has a report (see: “More work ahead for state’s aging builders,” by Brad Harper).
“The average age of a construction tradesman — from architects, to electricians, to glass blowers — is 47 years old, according to advocacy initiative Go Build Alabama,” the paper reports. “And industry information group Construction Labor Market Analyzer estimates that 17 percent of them will retire during the next five years.” That’s a problem, because the state needs more tradespeople, not fewer: “The state has added more than 3,800 construction jobs so far this year, and construction permits have risen steadily over the past few years according to data from the Alabama Center for Real Estate.”
As experienced workers age, younger people aren’t flocking in to replace them, the paper reports: “Over the past decade, the number of people ages 16-24 entering construction trades dropped by 65 percent, according to CLMA data.”
