A 2025 survey of more than 1,300 general contractors nationwide found 92% reported difficulty finding qualified workers.
The report from the Associated General Contractors of America states that another 45% of employers reported that labor shortages are leading to project delays.
In Texas, 58% of responding firms said they have added workers this year.
The AGC identifies two key factors contributing to potential worker shortages: an aging workforce and a decline in the number of younger, qualified employees entering the industry.
“There aren’t nearly enough workers getting trained for these construction jobs,” said AGC of America Chief Economist Ken Simonson.
In addition, 28% of firms nationally said they have observed an impact from federal immigration enforcement activity.
Shawna Guevara, managing director at Dallas-based Landmark Structural Builders, said the firm has recently connected with universities and colleges to onboard interns who could become future employees.
“We have had to get creative,” Guevara said. “We have workers that are aging out right now.”
“If we don’t address workforce shortages right now, we will risk slowing down growth across the entire region.”
It’s an issue the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is watching too, recently highlighting the potential for slower regional growth due to fewer available workers.
Pia Orrenius, president of the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said while Texas’s annual economic growth rate consistently outpaces the U.S., it could slow amid declining immigration.
“What concerns us is that we may be even dipping to below normal levels of immigration,” Orrenius told NBC 5.
“We can’t grow those jobs here and grow the economy here faster than the U.S. if we don’t get those extra workers.”