By Samantha DeAlmeida Roman
Construction is among the few industries where someone can become an apprentice, earn a paycheck while learning their craft and eventually become credentialed.
There have been misleading assertions that individuals on foreign visas are to blame for union workers losing out on job opportunities.
In a recently published opinion piece, it was also asserted that the construction worker shortage is due to a lack of non-union employers willing to pay fair wages to their workers — saying that only trade unions offer workforce development, hands-on-training, and diversity in the workforce.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
On behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors New Jersey Chapter (ABC-NJ), I want to set the record straight about New Jersey’s construction worker shortage.
- ABC-NJ represents union and non-union businesses that offer jobs and opportunities to over 165,000 workers in New Jersey. Our more than 1,400 companies provide their employees with competitive wages and salaries as well as opportunities for advancement in a rapidly growing industry. The fact is any contractor who does not properly pay their workers will be investigated by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Merit shops provide fair wages and strong job protections — and the insinuation that non-union employers are taking advantage of foreign workers is offensive and wrong.
- To be clear, the building trades unions make up less than 20% of the entire construction industry, and their workforce has shrunk to historically low levels over the past several years. The large majority (84%) of New Jersey’s construction workforce is non-union labor. And 98% of Black and Hispanic construction companies are non-union shops. In fact, an overwhelming 98% of minority construction contractors are non-union. Alternatively, the Merit Shop has demonstrated that workforce development is a priority, and that race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation are not areas for which they wish to exclude people from working and being trained.
- The construction workforce shortage is not because construction jobs do not pay a “liveable” wage. In fact, the average hourly construction wage in January 2025 was $39 per hour, far above minimum wage, and 4.1% higher than it was 12 months prior.
- The biggest reason for the construction workplace shortage, according to a recent survey of commercial and industrial contractors, is an exodus of baby boomers from job sites.
That’s why ABC-NJ is working to educate a new generation about the benefits of a career in construction through our U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship training programs. Apprenticeships are a vital way to introduce someone, no matter their background or age, to a career in construction.
In fact, in the construction industry one can earn a paycheck while learning their craft during an apprenticeship, and receive a portable, industry-recognized credential upon completion of their education.
ABC-NJ’s apprenticeship training program is held to the highest standards of the Department of Labor apprenticeship training program. It continues to grow in diverse communities throughout New Jersey, despite only being in existence for several years.
We continue to work closely with organizations such as the African American Chamber of Commerce to promote this program in all communities of the state.
While we understand that trade unions are frustrated with their loss of 65,000 members nationally over the past year, ABC-NJ’s mission is to work collaboratively with both union and non-union contractors to benefit the entire construction industry, its workers, and New Jersey’s economy.
Samantha DeAlmeida Roman is president of Associated Builders and Contractors New Jersey Chapter.
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