States and Construction Trades Most Reliant on Immigrant Workers, 2023

As reported in a previous post, immigrants make up one in four workers in the construction industry. The share of immigrants is significantly higher (32.5%) among construction tradesmen. In some states, reliance on foreign-born labor is particularly evident, with immigrants comprising over 40% of the construction workforce in California and New Jersey, and 38% –…

Read more

Immigrant Share in Construction Sets New Record

Reflecting the sharp increase in net immigration of recent years, the number of new immigrants joining the construction industry rose substantially in 2022. According to the latest American Community Survey (ACS), the industry managed to attract close to 130,000 new workers coming from outside the U.S. to help with persistent labor shortages. For comparison, this…

Read more

Hispanics Comprise 31% of the Construction Workforce

Diversifying the construction labor force is a key strategic goal given the ongoing skilled labor shortage. The latest labor force statistics from the 2022 American Community Survey[1] show that Non-Hispanic White people account for the majority of workers in the construction industry (57.5%). However, Hispanics make up close to one-third of the construction labor force…

Read more

Texas, California, and Florida Lead in Hiring Female Construction Workers

In 2022, around 1.29 million women worked in construction in the United States, accounting for 10.97% of the industry, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.  Within the construction industry, women are more likely to be found in such occupations as office and administrative support, management, business, and financial operations. Only 2.8% of women in…

Read more

States and Construction Trades Most Reliant on Immigrant Workers, 2022

As we reported earlier, immigrants make one in four construction workers. The share is significantly higher (31%) among construction tradesmen. In some states, reliance on foreign-born labor is particularly evident, with immigrants comprising 40% of the construction workforce in California and Texas. Supported by a substantial increase in immigration to the United States since 2022,…

Read more

Immigrant Share in Construction Highest on Record

After years of being unable to ratchet up the number of new workers coming from outside the U.S. to help with persistent labor shortages, the construction industry reversed this trend and managed to attract over 90,000 new immigrant workers, levels unseen since the housing boom of 2005-2006. Native-born workers remain reluctant and continue joining the…

Read more