New Labor Bill Aims to Ease Workforce Shortages

Workforce Development
Published

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.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Awards | IBS

Feb 19, 2026

NAHB Announces 2025 Best in American Living Awards Winners

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced the winners of the 2025 Best in American Living™ Awards (BALA) during the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando. The awards are sponsored by Smeg.

IBS

Feb 19, 2026

NAHB Honors the Industry’s Top Achievements at The Nationals

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) honored top achievements in residential real estate sales, marketing, individual achievement and global excellence at The Nationalsâ„  Awards Gala (sponsored by Chase) during the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando. Awards were also presented for the 55+ housing, NAHB Honors and Global Innovation award categories.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Feb 19, 2026

Delinquency Rates Normalize While Credit Card and Student Loan Stress Worsens

Delinquent consumer loans have steadily increased as pandemic distortions fade, returning broadly to pre-pandemic levels. According to the latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 4.8% of outstanding household debt was delinquent at the end of 2025, 0.3 percentage points higher than the third quarter of 2025 and 1.2% higher from year-end 2024.

Economics

Feb 18, 2026

Overall Housing Starts Inch Lower in 2025

Despite a strong finish in December, single-family home building dipped in 2025 as persistent affordability challenges continued to weigh on the market.

Economics

Feb 18, 2026

How Housing Affordability Conditions Vary Across States and Metro Areas

The NAHB 2026 priced-out estimates show that the housing affordability challenge is widespread across the country. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, over 65% of households are priced out of the median-priced new home market. This indicates a significant disconnect between higher new home prices, elevated mortgage rates, and household incomes.