Rebuilding America’s infrastructure depends on a skilled, supported workforce, yet outdated practices threaten retention, productivity, and the industry’s long-term success.
Leah Rambo
President, Nontraditional Employment for Women
America’s infrastructure is being rebuilt at a historic scale. Billions of federal dollars are flowing into roads, bridges, clean-energy projects, and transit systems, all of which depend on a skilled union construction workforce that simply doesn’t exist in the numbers we need.
Across the country, contractors can’t fill open positions, and unions face shrinking membership. The current workforce is aging out faster than new workers can replace them. If we keep doing things the way we always have, we’ll keep getting the same result: too few workers to meet the nation’s demand.
This isn’t just a labor problem; it’s a business model problem. The trades were built on a mid-20th-century assumption that the average worker was a man who had a full-time caregiver at home. That’s not today’s reality. Today’s workforce includes parents, caregivers and individuals including young people, seeking stability and respect, not just paycheck. Most households depend on two incomes, and a growing number of tradespeople, including fathers, juggle parenting responsibilities on their own. Yet, job sites and training programs still run on rigid schedules, unpredictable overtime, and little regard for family needs.
The result? High turnover, burnout, and a reputation that discourages new entrants. It also contributes to a crisis the industry has begun to face directly: mental-health strain. Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any occupation, and unions nationwide are sounding the alarm. When workers face constant pressure, unstable schedules, and little support, the human cost shows up in ways no project budget can measure.
Retention is the new recruitment
Recruitment gets attention, but retention is where the real savings are. Training a new worker costs thousands of dollars and takes years before they reach full productivity. Companies should calculate the cost of replacing a worker to better understand the monetary value of retention. When workers leave because they can’t manage the hours or culture, employers lose not only talent but also return on investment.
Research shows that companies with predictable scheduling and supportive management see higher productivity and lower absenteeism. Those practices aren’t about “accommodating” anyone; it’s operational excellence, investing in retention, productivity, and long-term success.
Best practices that work
- Predictability: Set consistent start times and limit last-minute overtime. By planning workweeks in advance and communicating clearly with crews, workers plan better, safety improves, and morale rises.
- Partnerships: Collaborate with community groups, city and state governments, local nonprofits or workforce development boards to connect workers with reliable childcare for parents. NYS is setting the standard by partnering with nonprofits like NEW and with NYC Building Trades to support workers with practical and reliable childcare.
- Professionalism: Enforce zero tolerance for bullying, hazing, and harassment. Create a short, clear code of conduct and review it regularly with staff and supervisors. A professional and respectful workplace culture is safer and more productive.
- Well-being and safety: Normalize mental health awareness and treat psychological safety like physical safety. Just as PPE, fall protection, and hazard training are standard, and so should be training on respect, anti-bullying, and mental health support. Harassment and intimidation cause unsafe work sites. The Building Trade Unions and Building Trades Employer Association are taking the lead in encouraging open conversations about stress and mental health and providing resources for workers. A safe worker is a healthy, productive worker.
- Mentorship: Train forepersons and superintendents to lead diverse teams. Basic leadership training is often very affordable and recognizing good leadership behaviors publicly can be done free of charge. Good supervision retains workers longer than any bonus.
These steps cost far less than chronic vacancies or project delays. A good job is accessible, safe, stable, pay-sustaining, and growth-oriented. When these principles guide workforce systems, retention improves, and recruitment follows.
A workforce built for the future
Modernizing workplace culture isn’t about politics or appearances; it’s about performance and aligning workforce infrastructure with the realities of today’s labor market. When women and men have stable schedules, fair treatment, and the ability to care for their families and themselves, they stay.
The trades are the backbone of our economy, but that backbone needs strengthening. To meet today’s infrastructure goals, we must build a workforce designed for today’s realities, not yesterday’s assumptions. The future of our industry, and our nation’s infrastructure, depends on it.
