How Skill Shortages Make Commercial General Contractors More Important

Low unemployment, an aging workforce, more youth attending college and the aftermath of the Great Recession have created a huge demand for skilled tradespeople across Denver and Colorado. For commercial general contractors, this means ensuring your jobs are properly staffed and completed on time is a greater challenge than ever.

At i2 Construction, we place a strong emphasis on building strong relationships within our ranks as well as with our construction partners across the Front Range. It’s important to work with a commercial general contractor who can provide the tradespeople you need to get your project done correctly and on schedule.

The Perfect Storm

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Unemployment In Colorado

The unemployment rate in Colorado is sitting at 2.8% as of the most recent measurement in May 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Peak unemployment hit during the Great Recession, reaching 8.9% in late 2011/early 2012, only dropping to pre-Great Recession levels in mid-2015. Unemployment has been hovering at or below 3% for the past year and a half.

Aging Workforce & Increased College Attendance

Baby Boomers are aging and retiring in greater numbers. While there aren’t enough Generation X and Y members to replace those moving out of the workforce naturally, there are even more factors at play according to a study by the Society For Human Resource Management.

The Great Recession created an outflow of skilled workers from the construction profession which did not return when the economy improved.

Younger generations are going after 4-year-degrees in greater numbers than past generations, leaving fewer to take on skilled trades.

There’s anecdotal evidence of construction tradespeople shortages across a number of local news sources, like The Coloradoan, The Denver Channel, The Denver Post and more.

i2 Construction’s Philosophy

As a Denver-based, full-service commercial general contractor, our team has become adept at finding the skilled tradespeople we need, building relationships and keeping the best and the brightest on our team. That’s how we can continuously make a real impact across Colorado, working on complex projects for Google, Coca-Cola, DaVita, Johns Manville Corporation and many more.

Our Core Values play out in our ability to attract talent and keep positive relationships with subcontractors: Integrity, Teamwork, Accountability, Excellence, Adaptability.

Get in touch with our team today to learn more about how your construction can go off without a hitch, even in an area with a shortage of skilled tradespeople.