While other areas of the economy remain flat, according to a quarterly Manpower Inc. market survey, 42% of contractors plan to hire workers Q2 of this year. Construction jobs are difficult to offshore, making them that much more attractive for workers laid off in other industries.

The rub: training. The shortage in trained workers is chronic with many areas of the country struggling to find both unskilled and skilled tradesmen. Inadequately trained workers can create shoddy work, need for greater supervision, and increased accident rates with accompanying higher insurance rates.

Training programs then become paramount. The good news is that many community colleges report increasing interest in one and two-year construction training programs. And construction associations are setting up intensive training programs in many areas as well. Check them out as sources for trained labor.

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