New Labor Bill Aims to Ease Workforce Shortages
Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) has re-introduced the Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act, legislation that would help alleviate the worker shortage in the construction industry by establishing a market-driven visa system to help employers find more laborers.
Employers would be required to prove they were unable to find American workers for vacant positions, pay them fair wages based on local wage data, and use E-verify to make sure only legal immigrants are hired. NAHB believes that such a temporary, flexible visa system would help address the chronic labor shortage in the residential construction industry.
Learn more about addressing the workforce shortage issue on nahb.org.
Latest from NAHBNow
Legal | Legal Action Committee
Feb 25, 2026
NAHB Legal Action Fund Awards $125,000 in Legal Support at IBSAt its recent meeting at the 2026 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, the NAHB Legal Action Committee reviewed requests for Legal Action Fund assistance and recommended a total of $125,000 in legal grants which was approved by the NAHB Board of Directors.
Economics
Feb 24, 2026
New Data Show Housing Affordability Concerns Across the U.S.In 39 states and D.C., over 65% of households are priced out of the median-priced new home market.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Feb 25, 2026
Housing’s Share of GDP Declined Further at the End of 2025Housing’s share of the economy was 16.0% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is down from 16.1% in the third quarter and is also lower than 16.3% as registered just one year ago.
Economics
Feb 24, 2026
Young Adult Headship Rates in 2024: Cyclical Slip or New Equilibrium?Reversing the post-pandemic rebound, the headship rates among young adults (the share of the population heading their own households) declined in 2024, according to NAHB’s analysis of the American Community Survey (ACS) data.
Economics
Feb 23, 2026
A 25-Basis-Point Decline in the Mortgage Rate Prices-In 1.42 Million HouseholdsHousing affordability remains a critical challenge nationwide, and mortgage rates continue to play a central role in shaping homebuying power. Although rates have declined from the recent peak of about 7.6% in 2023 to around 6.01% as of February 19,2026, they remain elevated relative to typical levels in the 2010s.