Construction Projected to Be The Fastest Growing Occupation Over The Next 10 Years
According to its latest 10-year employment and labor force projections, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has found that employment in the construction sector will grow at an annual rate of 2.6%. Of 19 employment sectors that BLS looked at for the next decade, the construction industry’s rate of growth is tied with health care for the fastest. This rate of growth equates to roughly 1.6 million new jobs between now and 2022. Additional highlights for the construction industry include:
- Of the 30 occupations projected to have the largest percentage increase between 2012 and 2022, 5 are related to construction.
- Occupations that typically require an apprenticeship are projected to grow 22.2% from 2012 to 2022, faster than any other on-the-job training assignment.
- The construction sector is projected to continue growing more than twice as fast as the average for all industries. In construction, projected rapid employment growth represents the continued recovery of significant job losses that occurred during the 2007–09 recession.
Clearly these projections back up what we here at WF_C have been hearing from all over the construction industry: The skills crisis in our industry is real and it is growing. We all have to work together to educate policymakers, educators, students, teachers and parents about the great careers available in the construction industry so we can fill this expanding gap.
Read more about the new BLS projections and see a graphic representation of the projection highlights in the Winter 2013-14 issue of the Occupational Outlook Quarterly here.
Contributor since July 2013
Mike is the Director of Workforce Policy at Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
