Report: Construction and manufacturing slow to recover in region

The high demand for workers could slow down Pittsburgh’s economic recovery from the pandemic.

A recent analysis from the Allegheny Conference found the region is trailing other parts of the country in rebounding from the pandemic in industries like manufacturing, wholesale, and mining.

The need for teaching trade skills to workers is also on the rise with local trainingcenters looking for new ways to keep up with demand.

“With demand increasing so dramatically for apprentices, we have about 50 people signed up and waiting to get in (after going) through the interview process,” United Brotherhood of Carpenters Training Coordinator Alex Fulton said.

Whether it’s the restaurant industry or construction, help is needed across the board

Fulton admits it’s been challenging going from closing the doors during the pandemic to the dramatic spike in demand for apprentices.

“As this demand increases, we have the need for this training. We can bring on more instructors and have more classes,” he said.

The carpenters union is also partnering with local districts including Pittsburgh Public Schools as they work to reach students at a younger age. The goal is to make sure they have enough students and apprentices ready to go as demand continues to grow in the future.

“Several months ago, the question was, will the jobs return for the job seekers? Now, it’s more, will the job seekers return for the jobs?” said Vice President of Market Rresearch Jim Futrell, who is with the Allegheny Conference.

Futrell predicts it will take Pittsburgh extra time to fully recover from the pandemic.

“We tend to go into recessions a little bit later and not as severely impacted, but then take a little bit longer to come out of it. We will be challenged with our slower population growth numbers,” he said

During that time the need for more workers is expected to remain.

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