Abstract

Skilled labor shortages are a pressing issue in the construction industry. Existing research has primarily focused on the effects of labor shortages at the project or industry level, but there is limited exploration of how these shortages vary across specific trades and their distinct impacts on project outcomes. Evidence indicates that labor shortages vary significantly among trades. This paper addresses this knowledge gap through quantitatively assessing the criticality of key construction trades based on the (1) extent of skilled labor shortages currently witnessed in each trade, (2) impact of these shortages on cost and schedule performance, and (3) degree of industry reliance on each trade. To this end, the cost and schedule criticalities of 10 key construction trades were determined based on a risk assessment using data collected from 106 industry experts. Further, the correlation between labor shortages and project performance was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient test. Last, trade criticalities were assessed in relation to the level of reliance of the construction industry on each of the examined trades using Monte Carlo simulation. Results indicate that skilled labor shortages vary across trades, with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) trades (electrical and plumbing) facing the most severe shortages, while finishes trades experience relatively lower impacts. Despite moderate shortages, concreting and ironworking significantly affect project cost and schedule performance. Schedule criticality generally surpasses cost criticality, except in electrical and plumbing trades. Furthermore, concreting, ironworking, electrical, plumbing, and masonry were identified as the most critical trades, posing the highest risks to project outcomes. Ultimately, this study provides project stakeholders an integrated assessment of the criticality of the skilled labor shortage in relation to project cost and schedule performance. The latter allows for prioritizing critical trades and as such developing trade-specific strategies to address shortages and mitigate their effects on project outcomes.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1943-7862; 0733-9364

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 American Society of Civil Engineers, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2026

Download

Full Text Link

Share

 
COinS