As construction continues to pick up, many builders are having trouble attracting workers back to the profession. Many who were laid off during the recession have turned to other jobs or industries and do not want to go back to jobs that were often sporadic and paid inconsistently. Other experienced workers retired, and for skilled workers like plumbers, the shortage is even worse. Hourly pay for construction workers has also fallen since the beginning of the recession, and builders say that they cannot afford to pay more due to material and land costs.
See "Home builders struggling to find enough construction workers", Alana Semuels and Alejandro Lazo, Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2013