After spiking at nearly 15% in the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. unemployment settled to around 8% in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As employees return to the workplace, notable job gains occurred in recent weeks across leisure and hospitality, retail trade, health care and social assistance. But […]

Labor shortage, decline in workforce, trade skills gap—use whatever term you’d like, but they all amount to the same set of challenges for home building and remodeling companies. Some blame the Great Recession for thinning out workers, while others think a lack of emphasis on trades during schooling has left them without a viable workforce. […]

It’s almost graduation day. Another class of high school graduates is weeks away from finishing their studies and preparing to either enter the workforce, or go off to college. With both the new construction and remodeling industries sorely in need of skilled tradesman, what portion of this graduating class can we expect to make their […]