Worker shortage is driving up construction costs in the Triangle – WRAL News

By Matt Talhelm, WRAL reporter

A struggle to hire construction workers is delaying and driving up the cost of building projects in the Triangle. A new survey from the Associated General Contractors of America says of general contractors in the state, 100% of them are having trouble filling positions.

The survey says the shortage threatens the progress on billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure projects.

"We've got probably, 22, 23 projects going on right now, and there's not a single one of them where us, or our subcontractors, don't wish we had more people, said Charlie Wilson, the president of C.T. Wilson Construction Company, which was founded in 1952 by his grandfather.

Ryan O'Keefe started with C.T. Wilson Construction Company sweeping floors and doing demolition. He's now a superintendent managing projects and crews. The shortage of workers is getting in the way of O'Keefe adding to his headcount under hard hats.

"It's pretty much across the board, all the trades plumbing, electrical, mechanical, sprinkler, carpentry, sheet rock, all that," said O'Keefe.

The AGCA's survey points to a lack of skilled labor as the biggest problem filling positions.

"The reality is that there are too many open positions and not enough people to fill them," said Betsy Bailey, who represents the statewide association of contractors.

Bailey said contractors have more work than they can take on, especially in the Triangle.

"Youve got a lot of public investment, and thats spurring a lot of private investment, a lot of growth in the state, so there are just a ton of projects out there right now," she said.

More projects are in the works with an influx of funding for infrastructure upgrades to roads, bridges, broadband and public buildings.

"I don't think they'll be impossible," said Wilson. "They'll definitely probably cost more and take longer to do."

Wilson said his company has raised wages and is offering bonuses to try to recruit workers.

"There's a lot of other industries competing against us for employees," he said.

O'Keefe said he moves his crews around as he can to keep projects on pace.

"We just try to get creative to still meet the deadline with the shortage of help," said O'Keefe.

The trade association here is getting ready to launch a Construction Bootcamp at a dozen or more community colleges across the state. Students will graduate from the free, eight-week program with two construction certifications to start work immediately to help fill some of these positions.

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Worker shortage is driving up construction costs in the Triangle - WRAL News