MICHIGAN — A report shows that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has led to a boom in construction jobs in Michigan. According to reporting by Kilgore News Herald shows that Michigan has seen a 9.7% increase in construction jobs.
Furthermore, the report continues by pointing out that construction hiring has not kept pace with investments. The lack of needed construction workers shows both increased job security for current skilled trades workers and the need for an increase in apprenticeship programs to recruit new people into the trades. From the article:
“Despite these sizable financial commitments, the construction industry faces a major labor shortage. Largely due to the aforementioned infrastructure developments combined with recent large private sector construction projects, Associated Builders and Contractors—a construction industry trade association—estimates the sector needs to hire over 500,000 workers to satisfy current demand in 2024.”
The article goes on to point out how the research was conducted and compared the differences between Michigan and the United States:
“This analysis was conducted by Construction Coverage, a website that provides construction insurance guides, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To determine the locations with the biggest increase in construction jobs, researchers calculated the percentage change in construction employment between 2018 and 2023.”
Here is a summary of the data for Michigan:
- Percentage change in construction employment (2018–2023): +9.7%
- Percentage change in total employment (2018–2023): +0.7%
- Total change in construction employment (2018–2023): +13,910
- Total construction employment (2023): 156,730
- Median annual wage for construction workers (2023): $57,790
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- Percentage change in construction employment (2018–2023): +4.4%
- Percentage change in total employment (2018–2023): +4.9%
- Total change in construction employment (2018–2023): +262,990
- Total construction employment (2023): 6,225,630
- Median annual wage for construction workers (2023): $55,680
