NABTU Highlights Need for Workforce Planning in US Construction Industry

The Facts -

Long-Term Workforce Planning: A Solution to Construction Labor Shortages

Washington, D.C. – May 28, 2026 – The construction industry is buzzing with concerns about labor shortages, especially with the expansion in energy, manufacturing, and data center sectors. However, according to North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the challenge lies not in the availability of skilled workers but in the lack of long-term workforce planning by key players in the industry.

“The United States does not have a skilled craft worker shortage,” noted NABTU President Sean McGarvey. “It has a workforce planning crisis. The unionized construction industry built the training infrastructure, contractor partnerships, and workforce pipeline required to meet this moment. That capacity exists right now.”

McGarvey points out that many parts of the construction industry have historically focused on short-term labor solutions, often resorting to low-wage labor tactics instead of establishing sustainable training and recruitment frameworks. In contrast, the unionized sector has invested through collective bargaining and signatory contractor alliances, creating a scalable workforce system that supports intricate projects across energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors.

NABTU’s apprenticeship initiative exemplifies this long-term strategy. The system offers tuition-free, earn-as-you-learn training across the U.S., with over 1,600 training centers and an investment exceeding $2.5 billion annually in apprenticeships and craft training. The initiative supports a pipeline of over 300,000 apprentices and trainees, guided by more than 21,000 instructors.

McGarvey emphasizes, “Workforce gaps in construction are not inevitable. They are the result of choices. The skilled workforce needed to build the projects driving the U.S. economy is not hypothetical. It is trained, available, and capable of expanding with demand. What is missing is the early commitment to incorporate workforce strategy into project planning.”

He further explains that while project heads routinely plan early for equipment, supply chains, and permits, similar foresight in workforce planning is crucial to avoid labor shortages. The key is to treat workforce strategy as a core project component.

Recent trends, such as increasing demand related to data infrastructure and skilled trades retirements, bolster NABTU's stance: forging partnerships and engaging proven apprenticeship systems early on is critical. This approach ensures projects are completed safely, timely, and efficiently.

Research indicates that projects employing union labor are 40% less likely to encounter skilled labor shortages, delivering higher productivity and reducing overall costs. NABTU argues that these findings demonstrate the importance of early planning and high-road labor partnerships in preventing project delays due to labor shortages.

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Media Contact: Betsy Barrett, (202) 997-3266 | bbarrett@nabtu.org

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is a coalition of 14 national and international unions representing more than 3 million skilled professionals in the United States and Canada. Annually, they invest over $2.5 billion in apprenticeship training across North America, producing highly skilled and productive workers. NABTU is committed to promoting economic security for construction workers and expanding career pathways into the middle class for diverse communities. For more information, please visit nabtu.org.

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