Pandemic & Opioid Crises Are Twin Challenges as Construction Industry Needs More Skilled Workers

While the US construction industry has weathered the pandemic better than many others and signs point to continued strength in residential construction in 2021, future advances may be hampered by a skilled labor shortage that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

A sharp uptick in opioid deaths is hitting the construction industry particularly hard and at a most inopportune time. The often times repetitive and physically taxing nature of construction work lends itself to injury and chronic pain, factors that make construction workers more susceptible to opioid overuse. High levels of isolation and limited treatment options during pandemic-induced facility closures have made the situation worse.

While the industry has been dealing with the challenges of opioid addition for a while now, with all sides working to create programs to help address the issue, the impact may be felt for some time to come.

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