In Demand: Skilled Craft Positions Are Hardest Roles to Fill

It’s always exciting when our children show interest in their future career options. 

But we know that all careers are not created equal.  

Some career fields have a high demand. Other areas are oversaturated, with too many people and not enough jobs to go around. 

Young people should be encouraged to pursue their passions and interests. It’s also smart for them to have a solid plan of how to use those passions to create a sustainable, long-term lifestyle. 

Developing such a plan requires knowledge of the job market. And when it comes to which types of jobs are in high demand, construction careers top the list.

Craft Skills Are in Demand 

More than 2,000 employers in the United States were asked through ManpowerGroup’s 2018 Talent Shortage Survey about what skills are the most difficult to find and why.  

For the fifth year in a row, skilled craft professions were the hardest positions to fill.  

There is an immediate market demand for skilled craft professionals, such as welders and electricians. These careers have ranked among the top five hardest roles to fill for the past 10 years.  

This statistic illustrates that training to become a skilled craft professional will make an individual marketable to employers who are having trouble finding qualified workers to fill these roles. 

The Lack of Qualified Craft Professionals 

A survey by Autodesk-AGC Construction shows that an overwhelming majority of construction firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers – particularly hourly craft professionals – to hire. 

The survey contains several surprising statistics.  

Ninety-three percent of responding firms are planning to hire new hourly craft personnel within the coming year, with more than three out of four respondents indicating that they will be expanding their headcounts.  

But at the same time, 80 percent of construction firms report they are currently having a difficult time filling craft positions.  

These shortages are prompting many firms to raise wages, improve benefits and expand bonuses and other incentives. Sixty-two percent of construction firms say they have increased base pay rates for craft workers because of the difficulty in filling positions.  

A Clear Path Forward 

Companies have an urgent need for skilled craft professionals and are currently having trouble filling these roles. This has led them to increase wages for those professions. 

The market demand for new craft professionals and the benefits associated with these career paths should further incentivize young people and their parents to learn more about the possible careers in the construction industry. 

Learn more about how demand leads to great benefits for craft professionals. 

Watch “It All Begins With Construction”