ATLANTA, Ga. — A recent report by the Associated General Contractors of America highlights a significant workforce shortage affecting infrastructure construction across Georgia. The survey reveals that 91% of construction companies in the state are grappling with severe labor shortages, hindering their ability to meet project deadlines.

Adding to the concern, Georgia's Worker Shortage Index shows there are only 54 available workers for every 100 open jobs, with 323,000 job openings and just 174,106 unemployed workers. The state's labor force participation rate stands at 61.4%, with an unemployment rate of 3.3%. Despite efforts to increase wages and enhance training opportunities, critical roles like architects, project managers, and skilled tradespeople remain hard to fill, causing widespread delays.

The state's hiring rate is 4.8%, but the quit rate of 2.9% signals ongoing challenges in retaining skilled workers. The trade, transportation, and utilities sectors remain the top employers, further intensifying competition for labor across industries.