The U.S. commercial construction outlook is looking up, with forecasted growth of 6% in 2021, followed by another 10% uptick in 2022. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also promises to revitalize America’s aging infrastructure and stimulate the economy.
As AEC firms prepare for increased construction activity, however, they could be hamstrung by a lack of skilled workers to keep projects moving forward. Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) predicts the construction labor shortage could be as high as 512,000 workers by 2023. Even conservatively, their analysis suggests the industry will need an additional 191,000 workers to meet 2022 demands. To offset this shortage of workers, AEC firms are looking to technology to improve construction productivity.
