When thousands of people are moving to areas like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, demand for new construction is high. It would seem like this would result in massive job opportunities in the homebuilding industry. But according to Builder Online, a labor shortage is presenting significant challenges for the construction industry.

 National Association of Home Builders chief economist Robert Dietz told the site the number of open construction jobs is at its highest level since February 2007. The industry added 80,600 jobs in the past 12 months. Total employment in the home building and remodeling industry has increased by 710,000 since the Great Recession ended. 

Still, the demands for additional housing in Texas have placed a strain on the industry, even despite the increase of 80,600 workers nationwide. Rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Harvey require even more construction help.

The labor shortage in Texas has a substantial impact on the construction industry. The 80,600 job openings each year includes the entire nation and does not account for replacement of people who have left the industry for various reasons.

According to a story in the Dallas Business Journal, Texas gained more than a half-million immigrants between 2010 and 2017. This provides an additional need for new housing.

Builder Online and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) are both working on initiatives to attract new talent to the industry. The NAHB is sponsoring a Careers in Construction month which will highlight opportunities in the industry, including salary-range data and links to information about training programs.

The number of new immigrants to the state could also be trained in the skills necessary to help them pursue successful careers in the construction industry.