Short on craft workers? The crew goes to whoever calls back first
· 5 min read
Most construction firms are still short on the people who do the work. In the 2026 Workforce Survey from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and NCCER, released September 3, 87% of firms said they have openings for hourly craft positions. Among those firms, 88% said the jobs are as hard or harder to fill than a year ago, and 50% said they are harder (AGC).
Construction Dive revisited those numbers on October 19. The short version: the pool of craft workers is not growing, and the good ones have other offers.
What the survey found
AGC and NCCER surveyed construction firms in July and August 2026, and 1,830 people responded to at least part of it. The findings that matter most for field hiring:
- 87% of firms have hourly craft openings.
- 88% of those firms say the openings are as hard or harder to fill than a year ago.
- 73% expect to add employees in the next 12 months, even though 37% cut headcount by at least 5% over the past year (AGC survey analysis).
- 42% say new hires fail to show up or quit shortly after starting.
- 12% say workers left or failed to appear because of actual or rumored immigration actions.
The workforce itself is still smaller than it used to be. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies counted 6.2 million construction trades workers in 2024, down from 6.9 million in 2007, or about 700,000 fewer than before the Great Recession (Harvard JCHS).
A smaller pipeline plus no-shows
That adds up to a two-sided hiring problem.
On one side, fewer qualified people are applying. Half of the firms in the AGC survey said available candidates lack the skills, certificates, or licenses the job needs. On the other side, a big share of the people you do hire never make it to day one, or leave soon after.
So each solid applicant is worth more, and with most competitors hiring too, that applicant is probably talking to more than one of you.
Picture a 20-person concrete crew
Say you run a concrete subcontractor with about 20 people in the field. You post a finisher opening Monday morning. Four people apply by Tuesday night. One has five years of flatwork experience and a valid driver's license.
You are on a pour Wednesday and Thursday. You look at the applications Thursday night and call Friday morning. Your best candidate already started with a general contractor across town, who called him back Tuesday afternoon. The second one does not pick up. The third says yes, agrees to start Monday, and does not show.
Nothing about that week was careless. You were running jobs. But the finisher went to the contractor who called back first.
Why speed matters more than the job ad
When most contractors are short on craft workers, the crew does not always go to the best job post or even the best wage. It goes to whoever calls back first and keeps in touch until the first shift.
That is good news for a small contractor. You may not outbid a large firm on every role, but you can make sure every applicant hears from you fast and knows what happens next.
What a call-back-first process looks like
You do not need a recruiting department, just a few habits that hold up during a busy week:
- Reply to every applicant the same day. Even a short "Got it, we'll call you tomorrow by noon" keeps a good candidate from taking the next offer.
- Keep every applicant in one list. Not split across a job board inbox, a foreman's phone, and a note in the truck.
- Confirm the interview and the start day. A quick check-in the day before gives people a reason to show up, and tells you early if plans changed.
- Know who owns the next step. If you are on a pour, someone else can see who applied and call them.
- Track your own show rate. Count how many people you schedule and how many arrive. If the number drops, look at how long they waited to hear from you.
Where ReadyATS fits
ReadyATS is an applicant tracking system for small businesses and hourly hiring. It helps you keep your applicants and hiring steps in one place while you are out running jobs.
The goal is a hiring process where every applicant gets a fast first reply, and your team reviews every applicant and makes the call. Software keeps things organized. You decide who joins the crew.
FAQ
How bad is the construction labor shortage in 2026?
In the AGC and NCCER 2026 Workforce Survey, 87% of firms had hourly craft openings, and 88% of those firms said the jobs were as hard or harder to fill than a year earlier.
How common are no-shows in construction hiring?
In the same survey, 42% of firms said new hires fail to show up or quit shortly after starting, and 83% reported at least some turnover among new field employees in their first 90 days.
Are contractors still hiring?
Yes. 73% of respondents expect to add employees in the next 12 months, and only 8% expect to reduce headcount.
How can a small contractor lose fewer craft applicants?
Reply the same day, keep all applicants in one place, and confirm interviews and start days ahead of time.
Your next finisher is applying somewhere this week. Be the first call.
When 87% of contractors are short on craft workers, the crew goes to whoever calls back first. ReadyATS makes that you. If you have an open craft role right now, set up a hiring process where every applicant gets a fast first reply, before your next good applicant takes another offer.