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“Help Wanted.” It’s a common refrain these days among employers looking for skilled workers and laborers. Across the country, the U.S. unemployment rate is at a record low 3.8%. While this may be good news for
those looking for work, it’s definitely creating problems as well. Employers
can’t find the workers they need to fill job openings and in many cases, it’s
impacting production or leading employers to open their doors to more
risk — in the form of unskilled, poorly trained or unprepared new hires.
This labor shortage has affected a number of industries and trades. The
lumber industry is no exception, and builders are feeling the pinch as they
struggle to find workers. Housing projects are delayed, and prices are rising for consumers. Housing framers, for example, are particularly hard to
come by. In a 2017 survey by the National Association of Home Builders,
77% of single-family builders reported seeing a shortage in housing framers, with 44% reporting a “serious shortage.”
LABOR SHORTAGE
INCREASES RISKS FOR EMPLOYERS
By John Smith