No Labor Shortage—Just Shortage of Good Jobs

Union Leaders Challenge Construction Labor Shortage Narrative

While construction leaders claim critical labor shortage, union representatives provide a different perspective: skilled workers exist abundantly, but steady quality employment opportunities do not. According to a November 6, 2025 Construction Dive opinion, the persistent labor shortage rhetoric masks deeper structural problems.

The Union Data

Iron Workers Local 5, representing 60,000 workers across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, operates one of the nation's largest apprenticeship programs. The union receives approximately 290 applications annually, with more than half qualified and ready immediately.

Yet most wait an average of 11 months for opportunities. This is not a worker shortage—it is a project shortage.

Nationwide Apprenticeship Capacity

Iron Workers unions nationwide operate more than 130 registered apprenticeship programs, collectively training over 20,000 apprentices annually through paid hands-on instruction. These apprentices receive wages and nationally recognized credentials eliminating student debt concerns common in traditional education.

Beyond formal apprenticeships, Local 5 receives approximately 100 additional applications annually through word-of-mouth networking—without formal marketing campaigns.

What Union Apprentices Receive

• Paid training while acquiring skills
• Family-supporting wages from day one
• Quality healthcare benefits during apprenticeship and career
• Retirement security through defined benefit pensions
• Nationally recognized credentials providing career portability

The Real Issue: Project Pipeline

Iron Workers Local 5 Business Manager Gary Armstrong Jr. emphasizes: "In nearly three years, our organizers have not once delayed a project for lack of qualified ironworkers. Whether commercial development, bridge rehabilitation, or infrastructure expansion, we consistently provide trained, safety-focused professionals."

Real data supports this assessment. Project availability, not worker availability, is the constraint.

Wage Dynamics Reveal the Problem

Construction wage structures show labor shortage claims relate to working conditions rather than worker availability:

• Undocumented workers through labor brokers: ~25/hour
• Open-shop union-eligible workers: ~40/hour
• Union workers: ~60/hour

When contractors access cheaper undocumented labor, they reduce demand for unionized workers—creating apparent shortages at higher wage tiers. The shortage is really a cost management strategy.

Unionization Decline and Wage Stagnation

Union representation in construction collapsed from nearly 40% in 1973 to just over 10% today. This decline correlates with real wage stagnation and deteriorating working conditions—precisely the factors discouraging new workers from entering trades.

Mark Erlich, fellow at Harvard Law School's Center for Labor and a Just Economy, notes real wage stagnation in construction reflects decades of weak worker protections, not true labor shortages.

What Would Actually Work

Solving construction workforce challenges requires:

• Sustained public and private investment creating consistent project pipelines
• Apprenticeship funding and promotion building domestic skilled workforce
• Competitive wages and benefits attracting quality workers
• Workplace safety standards and enforcement creating dignified work
• Legal immigration pathways for needed workers reducing exploitative labor dependence

Real Construction Reality

When developers partner with union contractors, they access reliable, fully trained workforce—ready to mobilize without delay. Union apprenticeship programs have proven they deliver skilled workers consistently. The talent, training, and capacity exist. The jobs must follow.

Sources: Iron Workers Local 5 (Nov 2025), Construction Dive (Nov 6 2025), Associated Builders and Contractors (2025), Harvard Law School Center for Labor and Just Economy (2025).