Problems in the Construction Industry
Current Problems and Issues Faced in The Construction Industry
It is quite obvious that the Construction industry is one of the most important industries in the world. Because of construction, we all live in homes, apartments, condominiums, and other living places that were created by construction. Most jobs are in buildings, which were also created by construction. Basically, the entire structural part of society was created by hard working construction workers.
To give you a general idea of why the Construction industry is so important as a market, the annual construction spending internationally is estimated to be $2.3 trillion of which $1.2 trillion was spent in the US alone in 2006 and 2007. The construction industry does not consist of just ditch digging and roofing and only labor jobs, but also has many scientific parts such as structural engineering, electrical work, and other design careers. That being said, there are still many problems faced in the construction industry. (Russell, Seasonality in construction)
Some of them include: Lack of training and experience, immigrant workers, Global Climate Change, Aging Infrastructure, shrinkage in the workforce and a decline in Construction productivity.
Shrinking workforce
This graph shows the results of a survey of 826 employers asking how much education they had received. For the non design and structural engineering jobs, experience is valued more than a college degree. This is because a specific worker would have one specific trade. Some examples would be roofing, framing, heavy equipment operator etc (Castaneda, Workers Skills). The more experienced the worker is, the more valued he or she is. The chart to the left shows the percentages of the construction workforce that each position makes up. 70% make up craftsmen, or those who have a focus on one aspect that they have mastered in the industry.
Charts from (Castaneda, Workers Skills)
Position and average number of years experience: *
It is quite obvious that the Construction industry is one of the most important industries in the world. Because of construction, we all live in homes, apartments, condominiums, and other living places that were created by construction. Most jobs are in buildings, which were also created by construction. Basically, the entire structural part of society was created by hard working construction workers.
To give you a general idea of why the Construction industry is so important as a market, the annual construction spending internationally is estimated to be $2.3 trillion of which $1.2 trillion was spent in the US alone in 2006 and 2007. The construction industry does not consist of just ditch digging and roofing and only labor jobs, but also has many scientific parts such as structural engineering, electrical work, and other design careers. That being said, there are still many problems faced in the construction industry. (Russell, Seasonality in construction)
Some of them include: Lack of training and experience, immigrant workers, Global Climate Change, Aging Infrastructure, shrinkage in the workforce and a decline in Construction productivity.
Shrinking workforce
This graph shows the results of a survey of 826 employers asking how much education they had received. For the non design and structural engineering jobs, experience is valued more than a college degree. This is because a specific worker would have one specific trade. Some examples would be roofing, framing, heavy equipment operator etc (Castaneda, Workers Skills). The more experienced the worker is, the more valued he or she is. The chart to the left shows the percentages of the construction workforce that each position makes up. 70% make up craftsmen, or those who have a focus on one aspect that they have mastered in the industry.
Charts from (Castaneda, Workers Skills)
Position and average number of years experience: *
Cited: Artigues, Guy. Personal Interview. 09 November 2012 Construction Recovery Still 3 Years Away. (2011). Metal Center News, 51(12), 40-43. Castaneda, J. A., Tucker, R. L., & Haas, C. T. (2005). Workers’ Skills and Receptiveness to Operate Under the Tier II Construction Management Strategy. Journal Of Construction Engineering & Management, 131(7), 799-807. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2005)131:7(799) Foster, H. G., & Strauss, G. (1972). Labor Problems in Construction: A Review. Industrial Relations, 11(3), 289-313. Mangan, Tom. Personal interview. 10 November 2012. Nissen, B., Angee, A., & Weinstein, M. (2008). Immigrant Construction Workers and Health and Safety. Labor Studies Journal, 33(1), 48-62. Russell, J. L., & Pilot, M. J. (1969). Seasonality in construction: a continuing problem. Monthly Labor Review, 92(12), 3. (Russell, Seasonality in construction) Zeiss, G. (2007, September 5). Between the Poles: Worldwide Challenges Facing the Construction Industry. Between the Poles. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://geospatial.blogs.com/geospatial/2007/09/convergence.html