Real improvement requires actionable data. Measures are used to establish realistic goals and to track progress, and there are many examples in the construction industry. Safety improvement is based on measures of recordable and lost time accidents. Cost management uses budgets and spending reports. Quality improvement is based on regular reports on trends of defects to identify problem areas.
To improve the construction skilled labor workforce, we need good, reliable data on the workforce size and the future needs. How many skilled workers do we already have? How many do we need now? What are the future needs for each craft? Which specific skills are critical for the types of projects expected in the next 5 years?
With reliable data we can plan recruiting and training programs with confidence that we are meeting real needs. Nobody wants to recruit and train new workers if we won’t have jobs and security for them. On the other hand, if we don’t train enough workers there will be shortages and missed project targets.
Until now, it has been difficult to get reliable information on local or regional skilled craft needs. Special craft labor supply and demand studies can be valuable, but they are expensive snapshots and are difficult to maintain in the changing construction industry. We need an ongoing real-time system because projects are being started, finished, delayed and cancelled all of the time.
With the development of the Construction Labor Market Analyzer® (CLMA) we now have a system for real-time online tracking of construction labor and demand. The system was designed by owners and contractors to provide reliable information on the labor supply and demand needed for current and future construction projects. The project data is entered by the project owners and contractors and from reliable industry standard data sources, and is converted to craft labor requirements by craft. Current labor supply information is provided by contractors, unions and labor brokers and is benchmarked against the Bureau of Labor Statistics database.
The CLMA is nationwide, but the data is entered by zip code allowing highly granular reporting. Reports on craft labor and supply are available regionally by zip code as well as by state or multi-state. All reports are by specific craft with 42 disciplines tracked.
With the data available from the CLMA, every workforce development organization can have reliable, real-time information on the current and future needs for each craft skill. They can design their recruiting and training systems and implement programs with confidence that they will be aligned with expected needs. The CLMA has tools and data that also enables those executing projects to make better project planning decisions earlier in the project’s lifecycle and can help lessen project labor risk, save money and improve project outcomes.
All of the data in the CLMA is updated regularly with old projects archived or deleted and new projects added. All active projects are updated every 90 days. The CLMA reporting system can provide an ongoing and up-to-date report on expected labor needs.
For more information on how you can participate with the CLMA, please contact Daniel Groves at the Construction Users Roundtable, email: dgroves@curt.org.
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