Labor Shortage Looms as Construction Rebounds

With Projects Moving Forward After 2025 Turbulence, Workforce Shortages Threaten Momentum

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Just as individual market sectors are finding ways to move projects forward after a year of supply chain and cost turbulence, the ongoing labor shortage threatens to bog down construction unless owners and contractors embrace new approaches, according to the latest Market Conditions Report from DPR Construction, one of the nation's top technical builders.

A recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America and the national Center for Construction Education and Research showed that:

• 88% of firms hiring craft workers and 80% employing salaried staff reported job openings, with similar percentages saying all of those positions are harder to fill than a year ago.
• 45% of respondents reported project delays due to a shortage of workers.
• Nearly 30% of firms cited immigration enforcement actions as contributing to the labor strain directly or indirectly.

"While contractors like DPR have changed how they recruit and are offering compelling career paths and benefits, the reality is it will take at least a generation to fully address the labor shortage," said Roel Aguilar, DPR's national preconstruction leader. "Owners looking to create more predictability should consider a self-performing general contractor and be open to new methods and technologies that can increase project efficiency using the existing workforce."

DPR not only has a team of more than 5,000 self-perform workers, it also has taken a proactive approach to increasing efficiency. From progressive forms of delivery that increase speed-to-market and embracing Lean construction techniques to scaling best practices across sectors and piloting new technology, project teams are working hard to extend the productivity and availability of the existing labor force.

Labor pressures come at a moment when customers across DPR's core markets are moving ahead with projects having successfully navigated tariff and supply chain uncertainties, market fluctuations and more. Projects in Advanced Technology and Life Sciences are projected to be significant drivers for construction demand in 2026. Similarly, Healthcare customers are shaping their capital construction programs to account for new legislation and reimbursement models. Higher Education is also adapting to a "new normal" based on policy and student preferences, while signs indicate the Commercial office market is beginning to awaken.

To learn more, explore the full report as well as DPR's interactive market conditions dashboard.

About DPR Construction
DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. DPR's portfolio of work ranges from large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and special projects. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the world. Strategically focused on delivering more predictable outcomes through applications of virtual design & construction, prefabrication, its team of self-perform craft, and leveraging data to learn and improve from DPR consistently ranks among the top building contractors and employs approximately 11,000 professionals across its family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.dpr.com.

For more information, please contact:

Jay Weisberger
DPR Construction
Email: pr@dpr.com

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SOURCE DPR Construction