Oklahoma Construction Companies Face Challenges Hiring New Workers

Construction companies across the state are struggling to get enough workers for their projects.

Some companies are offering hiring bonuses worth hundreds of dollars and are still struggling to have workers call back. It's a frustrating situation for Marla Carter, the office manager of Tulsa Civil Contractors.

"It's virtually impossible," she said. "I know that we have placed several ads on different platforms, and we have seen virtually no responses."

Carter’s company hires laborers to do civil projects like drainage, roadwork, and pipeline construction.

"We have got a great backlog. We have not had a problem getting work or obtaining and keeping work. Our problem is getting the labor to do the work," Carter said.

Her frustration is felt across Oklahoma, but Chief Economist of the Association of General Contractors of America Ken Simonson said the drop in workers is much bigger.

"Oklahoma was 4.7 percent below, so doing a little bit worse than the country but frankly you have a lot of company there. Thirty-six states were still below that February 2020 level last month," Simonson said.

That roughly 5 percent drop translates into nearly 4,000 missing laborers in Oklahoma. Simonson said they're absent for a number of reasons like unemployment checks or lingering fears of the coronavirus.

Simonson expects things to return to normal as the state gets closer to herd immunity and additional unemployment benefits go away.