The construction industry and COVID-19

The construction industry has had its share of challenges in 2020 beyond the all-encompassing global pandemic. But none of those other issues have loomed quite as large as COVID-19. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index, 85% of U.S. contractors are experiencing delays on at least some projects due to the coronavirus outbreak and worker health and safety concerns. Nearly three-quarters of those experiencing delays expect them to continue at least into early 2021. It’s no surprise, then, that about 70% of contractors say worker health and safety remains the top concern for their business.

Nearly all contractors surveyed said they have made some changes in the way they do business to cope with the virus and help protect their employees. Those changes include:

• 82% are providing items to protect employee health, such as masks and sanitizer
• 75% changed work procedures to increase social distancing
• 67% allow remote work for office employees

While the global pandemic is currently the top concern within the construction industry by a large margin, number two is the shortage of skilled workers, a problem that persisted well before the outbreak. The chamber said that 83% of U.S. contractors continue to report moderate to high levels of difficulty in finding trained employees. Of those that report difficulty finding skilled workers, more than one-third said they have had to turn down work as a result.

Concern about fluctuations in the cost of building materials remains fairly high as well, with 62% of contractors reporting that it has impacted their business. Of the contractors concerned about cost fluctuations, steel and lumber are the top issue. Shortages of some materials — an issue aggravated by the pandemic — have been a problem as well.

Where does the industry go from here? Contractors are cautiously optimistic. Contractors’ confidence in the ability of the market to provide new business 2021 is rising, although it’s significantly below pre-pandemic levels. Revenue expectations are slightly more optimistic than they were in early 2020 and contractors generally believe that pandemic-related delays will start to abate in the coming months.