Construction worker shortage worrying industry insiders.

If you have a construction project planned, you might have to be flexible with its completion date. South Carolina building trades associations and some builders say there are not enough workers to fill the jobs available.

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce reports demand is high in the Midlands for construction workers, and the outlook is growing. This includes carpenters, construction laborers, supervisors, construction managers and office personnel.

Although the demand for workers is not yet considered a crisis, the Carolinas Association of General Contractors has a program for workforce development. In its report, The Economic Impact of Construction in the United States and South Carolina, AGC said "78% of firms in the U.S. reported difficulty filling hourly craft worker positions."

"There's a severe shortage of not just laborers, but of certified craftsmen as well," said Bill Stricker, vice president of operations and workforce development at Carolinas AGC. "There's a shortage of people throughout the construction industry."

Construction employment in South Carolina was down nearly 3% in July 2019 compared to the same time in 2018, and it was 22% lower than the state's peak construction employment in October 2006. Stricker said some construction workers who lost their jobs in the economic downturn of 2008 found jobs elsewhere and didn't return to the industry once it recovered.

There are signs of improvement, however. The AGC's monthly analysis of Department of Labor statistics found that South Carolina added 1,800 construction jobs between July and August, a 1.8% increase that was third-best in the nation.

"Our industry is like many others who have faced the same types of issues manufacturing, hospitality, health care, education. Most all of these sectors have experienced the same kinds of issues," Stricker said. "People did leave the industry during that downtime to find employment in other places, and they haven't come back."

Building trade associations say the shortage of workers is not urgent yet, but it is causing some contractors to adjust anticipated completion dates.

"I have heard of some instances where it's impacted construction schedules because they simply have not been able to get the people to complete the work on time, so it has delayed projects in some cases," Stricker said.

Great Southern Homes executive vice president and CEO Mike Satterfield said cycle times have increased by as much as 30 days for...

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