Most Construction Craft Professionals Like Their Jobs

By Tim Taylor, P.E., Ph.D.

Construction workers report higher levels of job satisfaction than all other industries combined — not just today, but through four distinct economic cycles since 1974. The data comes from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. As little as 86% and up to 89% of people working in the construction trades like their jobs. That’s exciting news to share as we celebrate Careers in Construction Month this October.

One reason for that may be the combination of pay and flexibility that this career path offers. While just over 9% of craft professionals are trained in more than one skill area, the availability of a multiskilled craft workforce has steadily increased since 2005, and the trend is expected to continue into 2030.

The top 10 dual-skill pairings among craft professional populations between 2005 and 2019 are (CII RT-370):

• Rigger and pipefitter
• Rigger and boilermaker
• Boilermaker and pipefitter
• Pipefitter and ironworker
• Pipefitter and instrumentation electrician
• Ironworker and carpenter
• Pipefitter and crane operator
• Scaffold and insulation
• Ironworker and crane operator
• Pipefitter and millwright

This increase in multiskilling has been driven organically by workers, not by employers. Key reasons cited include seeking more consistent employment, higher wages, more challenging work and interest in learning a new trade or to obtain easier physical work. Researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder and NCCER are working to further understand the factors and impacts of multiskilling.

Preparing for a less mobile workforce

As craftworker preferences change, employers need to be prepared to meet those needs. High job satisfaction is generally acknowledged as having a direct correlation to low turnover. This means that the industry may need to rethink the way projects are designed to take advantage of the increasingly multiskilled, less mobile workforce.

Employers would be wise to acknowledge the desire of workers to learn new skills and provide the opportunity for doing so. This includes:

• Providing opportunities for new industry entrants to explore different trades to identify an area of interest.
• Communicating defined career path options within your organization.
• Giving employees credit for related knowledge, skills and abilities that contribute to competency in the new skill area.
• Providing resources for adult learners — training that is flexible and self-paced.

According to research conducted by the Construction Industry Institute (CII RT-252), the most important workforce development element is a firm’s formal policy for or commitment to providing a formal craft skills training program. The contractors, owners and other training professionals that participated in the study had the same perception toward the relative importance of workforce development elements.

Related to this, the growing preference by an increasing percentage of craft professionals is to remain in one geographic location versus traveling for work. At the same time, spousal employment within the industry has grown to above 80%. Together, these factors point to reduced mobility among the craft workforce – a trend likely to intensify in coming years. (CII RT-370)

These videos provide additional insight into the multiskilled workforce.

Careers in Construction Month

Careers in Construction Month is a nationwide campaign held every October to increase public awareness of construction careers, inspire the next generation of craft professionals, and make an impact on the perceptions of a career in construction. Discover resources and get involved here.

The 2022 Construction Career Pathways Conference will be held Nov. 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Get registered here. 

Tim Taylor is the director of research for the National Center for Construction Education and Research and a former chair professor of civil engineering at the University of Kentucky.