Construction Careers: Influencing a New Generation

According to the Home Builders Institute’s Fall 2025 Construction Labor Market Report, there are currently 3.3 million payroll residential construction workers. While the exact ideal number needed to fully resolve the skilled labor shortage is not specified in the context, the report highlights that the shortage is responsible for $10.8 billion in lost production annually.

Industry experts often estimate that the U.S. would need at least several hundred thousand additional skilled workers to meet current demand and alleviate production delays. Therefore, increasing the residential construction workforce by 500,000 to 600,000 workers could significantly reduce the labor shortage and help the industry meet its housing goals.

Key findings in the HBI 2025 report include:

• Women make up a growing share of the construction employment, reaching a 20-year high of 11.2% in 2024. This is a noticeable increase from 9.1% in 2017. 
• Immigrant workers now account for 25.5% of the construction workforce, a new historic high. In construction trades, the share of immigrants is even higher, with one in three craftsmen coming from outside the United States.
• The percentage of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) individuals participating in the construction labor workforce has more than doubled, increasing from 6.4% in 2019 to 14.1% in 2023.

StrataTech Education Group, operator of local Tulsa Welding School – Dallas (TWS), has launched a new podcast, Skilled Nation. The podcast will share authentic stories, amplify a diverse lineup of voices and be packed with practical insights for anyone considering a career in the skilled trades.  Visit youtube.com/@skillednationpodcast.

Texas A&M University–Kingsville offers a new Skilled Trades Academy providing tuition-fee postsecondary education credentials in electrical, carpentry and broadband roles, as well as stackable credits for future education.