Labor Bill Aims to Ease Workforce Shortage

Workforce Development
Published

Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) has introduced the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (H.R. 3734), 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

Membership | Leadership Meetings

Jan 13, 2026

Release of 2026 Committee and Council Appointments

Letters for 2026 Committee and Council appointments are tentatively scheduled to be released on Friday, Feb. 6. A list of appointees will be posted on nahb.org on Monday, Feb. 9.

Legal

Jan 12, 2026

State Supreme Court to Review NAHB-Supported Case on Subcontractor Liability

The South Carolina Supreme Court granted a petition for certiorari review in a case with serious consequences for general contractor liability for subcontractor negligence.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jan 12, 2026

Household Real Estate Asset Values Fall in the Third Quarter

The market value of household real estate assets fell to $48.0 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, according to the most recent release of U.S. Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts. The third quarter value is 0.7% lower than the second quarter but is 1.5% higher than a year ago.

Economics

Jan 12, 2026

Growth for Custom Home Building

NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates year-over year growth for custom home builders amid broader single-family home building weakness.

Economics

Jan 09, 2026

Townhouse Construction Share Gains Continue

According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, during the third quarter of 2025, single-family attached starts totaled 46,000. Over the last four quarters, townhouse construction starts totaled a strong 179,000 homes, which is 1% higher than the prior four-quarter period (177,000). Townhouses made almost 20% all of single-family housing starts for the third quarter of the year.