Filling the
Ranks
Industry
builds its work force
By
Seth Ansorge
If
someone had told construction insiders 20 years ago that 1983
marked the start of something big, they probably wouldn't have
believed it.
Just
one year earlier, as unemployment levels across the nation hit
10 percent for the first time since the Great Depression, the
number of construction workers in Wisconsin dipped below 57,000,
the lowest mark in almost two decades.
In
1983, the field saw slow gains, up to 57,700 workers, but the
picture was still grim.
"This
was a full-blown recession," said Michael Fabishak, executive
vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Greater
Milwaukee. "Mortgage rates were up to around 17 (percent)
or even 18 percent. As a consequence, many people in this industry
were put on hold beyond the point of seasonal layoffs. A lot of
those I think had to move on. They could only hold on so long
before the faucet got turned back on."
Funny
thing was, once the "faucet" opened up again, the initial
trickle of jobs grew steadily, year by year, for an astounding
18 years. By the end of that run, the number of construction workers
in Wisconsin had reached flood proportions.
In
2000, there were 124,000 construction workers in the state, and
talk centered more on worker shortages than unemployment lines.
"At
that point, it was almost as though if they were breathing they
could be put to work," Fabishak said. "Undoubtedly,
employers were looking for the most capable people, but at some
juncture, they were just trying to get anyone to fill positions
at all levels."
Since
their peak in 2000, employment figures have dropped off slightly.
Heading into 2003, the construction industry employs about 122,900
people, according to the latest figures from the state Department
of Workforce Development.
Diverse
work force
But
despite recent declines, the 20-year span from 1983 to 2003 is
still a remarkable era for the industry. Not only did the number
of employees mushroom, but the inclusion of minorities and women
in the field made major strides.
Perhaps
the largest step came in 1983 when government officials passed
Wisconsin Act 390. The Act, signed by then-Gov. Tony Earl, allowed
certified minority-owned business enterprises a low-bid waiver
if they were within 5 percent of the lowest bid on a project.
And it set a target that 5 percent of state purchases and contracts
would go to MBEs, a goal now monitored by the state Department
of Administration.
Godwin
Amegashie, the director of the state's Minority Business Enterprise
Program, said the effect of Act 390 was truly groundbreaking.
"What
it has done, in very simple terms, is spur the development of
minority-owned businesses in the state of Wisconsin," he
said. "It got us to the point where the state has made itself
a good prospect for opportunity for MBEs."
Not
much legislation gets its own party, but to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of Act 390, Business Opportunities in the Government
Sector is throwing a bash April 17 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.
"It's
a celebration of a successful public policy," Amegashie said.
Women
get involved
Act
390 was not unprecedented. A year prior, the federal Surface Transportation
Act set a national goal of placing at least 10 percent -
a figure that has since dropped to 8.7 percent in Wisconsin -
of federal highway and transit funds with disadvantaged-business
operators.
At
the time, neither Act 390 nor the federal bill applied to women.
But few argue that there were enough women in construction at
the time to merit such legislation.
While exact statistics are not available, most industry analysts
agree that women contractors were anomalies in the early 1980s.
"Gender
in construction was basically negligible in 1980," said Terry
Ludeman, the DWD's chief of the local work force planning section.
But
in 1987, a subsequent act to the Surface Transportation Act included
women-owned businesses. And the number of WBEs grew throughout
the booming 1990s.
Today,
women make up a little less than 10 percent of the construction
work force nationwide, according to the Center for Women's Business
Research in Washington, D.C.
But
heading into 2003, the center lists construction as one of the
top two traditionally male-dominated industries gaining women
workers. From 1993 to 2000, women working construction jobs climbed
20 percent, from 617,000 to 913,000, according to the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics.
"In
the last 10 years, I continue to see and meet a lot more women
in a variety of roles in the industry," said Laura Cataldo,
former president of the Madison Chapter of the National Association
of Women in Construction, now in its sixth year. "Really,
in the past 10 to 15 years, there is a need to fill positions.
Employers are looking for sources of labor, and for women, that
means more opportunities for nontraditional careers."
Aging
workers
There's
no question that the employment boom from 1983 to 2000 has cooled
off substantially. But looking ahead to 2023, some industry analysts
say the prospect of mass layoffs is not what worries them most.
Instead,
it's the aging work force - and a paucity of new blood -
that has employers nervous.
Karin
Wells is an economist for the projections unit of DWD's Bureau
of Workforce Information. Collecting employee data from each trade,
the DWD estimates a total of 135,800 construction jobs by 2010.
That's nearly 13,000 more than in 2002, a level of growth considered
slow but steady.
The
state's dip in population growth and expected interest rate hikes
will have a dampening effect on job creation, while higher household
incomes and continuing low levels of overall unemployment and
inflation should keep builders punching clocks, she said.
Most
of that increase - about three-quarters - will come
from specialty-trade contractors. For example, about 6,000 new
carpenters will be needed, plus 5,000 new electricians and 2,500
new painters for construction and maintenance.
Wells
hesitated to predict what the work force will look like in 2023.
But with so many workers today older than 50, finding enough young
people to fill retirees' shoes will be a challenge, she said.
New
look
To
meet that challenge, Cataldo said the construction industry needs
an image overhaul. Shows like Fox's "Joe Millionaire,"
which presented a $19,000-a-year construction worker with a "last
resort" for gainful employment, puts a wrecking ball through
the industry's reputation.
To
fill the ranks in the next two decades, Cataldo hopes more women
will be drawn by what construction work can offer: high wages,
meaningful work and a feeling of accomplishment at the end of
each day.
As
a group, NAWIC members raise money for scholarships to put women
in construction courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
or the Tools for Tomorrow program at Madison Area Technical College.
And they've hosted LEGO building competitions at the annual Kids
Expo and led "cookie-engineering competitions" at Girl
Scout meetings. The purpose is to get girls interested early.
"We
need role models out there for women considering construction
as a career choice," she said. "They see us in our hard
hats, and that's a big thing."
Amegashie
said the same is true for minorities. Since Act 390 in 1983, government
leaders have shown "a commitment to encouraging minority-owned
enterprises," he said. But as the work force dwindles, more
needs to be done to attract people of all colors and backgrounds.
"I
don't know what will happen in 20 years, but my personal view
is that we need to get innovative and try to attract the young
people just to keep the industry alive," he said. "The
carpenters and metal workers are aging."
And
although computers are typically pegged as the new tools of the
future, Amegashie said construction workers aren't likely to be
phased out.
"Computers
don't build houses, humans do," he said. "And I'd venture
to say that won't change a lot."
