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Milwaukee — As construction demand rises in Milwaukee, the region is facing a tight construction labor market, according to a new study from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Large, high-profile projects in Milwaukee include a $456 million expansion of the downtown convention center, construction of a 44-story couture residential tower near the lakefront, and construction of a new chemical building on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus continues to overflow the streets of His 31-story apartment in the historic Third Arrondissement, to name a few. The city’s rapid development is creating jobs and boosting the economy, according to the Wisconsin State Policy Forum. Milwaukee seems to be constantly changing its skyline. As more projects hit the city streets, so does the need for construction workers.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum reported that metropolitan construction employment has remained stable and has actually increased throughout the pandemic. Thus, construction unemployment in the region is at a historically low level and job openings are at his highest level in 20 years.
However, it is unclear whether all these holes can be filled. Over the years, Milwaukee’s construction workforce has grown. Milwaukee now has the largest apprentice pool since 2000, and most construction unions predict the apprentice class will continue to grow.
Still, construction unions in five regions report significant declines in apprenticeships. Three of those unions, he said, do not have enough workers ready to start apprenticeships to replace construction workers who are likely to retire in the near future. Four of the surveyed unions said more than 25% of his active members were in their 50s. Another he said four unions said more than 10% of his workers were over 60 years old.
About half of the unions included in the survey say fewer workers are available for new projects than before the pandemic, and most construction workers are already employed. Additionally, active union construction workers are working more hours on average than they did a decade ago.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum said the long-term demand for construction workers in Milwaukee had not been established, but noted that industry leaders needed to step up their recruitment efforts. proposed a new approach to increasing opportunities and recruiting and retaining young workers. The Wisconsin Policy Forum noted general demographic trends in the findings. For example, more baby boomers are retiring, but the birth rate continues to decline.
To maintain a pipeline of young construction workers in the region, the study points to an increased commitment to diversity.
“Despite the increasing diversity of Metro Milwaukee’s population, limited progress has been made in diversifying the construction workforce. But black and female workers remain very underrepresented, with more than half of black workers canceling apprenticeships before completion,” said the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
The City of Milwaukee’s Resident Favor Program currently requires that 40% of the time spent building public works projects (or a subset of private development projects supported by city funds) be completed by eligible city residents. I have. In addition to a tight labor market, the study found that projects falling under the RPP program may struggle to hire enough qualified workers.
Read the full report below.
Aly Prouty by BuiltToLast_FullReport
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