New York Builder Testifies Before Congress on Labor Shortages

Workforce Development
Published

Bruno Schickel, president of Schickel Construction based in Dryden, N.Y. and longtime member of NAHB, recently testified on his behalf before Congress on the acute labor shortage in the residential construction industry and the need to promote vocational career paths.

Noting that he is the first person in his family in many generations not to go to college, Schickel told lawmakers that “going to college is not the only way to get an education. I wanted to make things, I did not want to go to college.”

Schickel started his company in 1984 and has consistently employed 10 to 15 people throughout the past 39 years, but he said the construction labor shortage is “nothing short of a crisis” and it is affecting his business as well.

“I know that for my business we could easily increase volume by 20 to 30% if we had more workers,” he said. “The National Association of Home Builders estimates that we will be short 2.2 million workers in the next two years.”

Schickel told lawmakers that over the past 50 years, too much emphasis has been put on attending college, and too little on finding a rewarding career in a trade.

“Resources for vocational and technical training have declined,” he said. “Many public schools no longer offer shop class, preventing young people like the kid I was from having access to a very rewarding variety of careers. We need to restore balance. Let’s bring back shop class.”

To learn more about NAHB’s efforts to address the labor shortage, visit the Workforce Development section 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

Oct 03, 2025

NAHB Awards Deadline Extended to Oct. 20

Interested applicants for NAHB’s prestigious award programs now have additional time to submit top projects and individuals for consideration. Don't miss your chance - apply by Monday, Oct. 20.

Sponsored Content

Oct 03, 2025

Fast Money, Fewer Headaches

Every week lost to underwriting is a week you’re not building, selling, or scaling. Delays push projects out of prime seasons, tighten cash flow, and leave crews idle. And when banks already move at their own pace, builders who aren’t prepared can get stuck at the back of the line.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 03, 2025

Supply-Side Cost Pressures Drove Housing as Inflation Leader in 2024

Though the rate of inflation peaked in June 2022, consumer prices continued to increase throughout 2023 and 2024 as inflation drove further price growth, according to 2024 CPI review from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Economics

Oct 02, 2025

Square Foot Prices Moderate in 2024

Median square foot prices for new single-family detached (SFD) homes started in 2024 grew modestly, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest Survey of Construction (SOC) data. For custom, or contractor-built, homes, the median price was $166 per square foot of floor space, up slightly from $162 in 2023.

Economics

Oct 02, 2025

17% of NAHB Builders Built Age-Restricted Housing in 2024

Only 17% of NAHB builder members build age-restricted housing for people age 55 or older, according to 2024 Member Census. This is up two percentage points from the previous year. However, this share has remained within a narrow band (15%-17%) since the question was added to the member census in 2009.