Labor Bill Aims to Ease Workforce Shortage
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.
Latest from NAHBNow
Oct 14, 2025
Stucco No Longer Most-Used Exterior Wall MaterialFor the first time since 2018, vinyl siding surpassed stucco as the most used principal exterior wall material. According to the latest annual release of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), 26% of homes started in 2024 had vinyl or vinyl-covered aluminum siding as their main exterior wall material.
Oct 14, 2025
North Carolina HBA, Local Builder Honor First Responder through Home SaleThe North Carolina Home Builders Association recently partnered with a local builder for a new project to benefit the family of a fallen first responder.
Latest Economic News
Oct 14, 2025
Custom Home Building Share Declines in 2024In 2024, 17.5% of all new single-family homes started were custom homes. This share decreased from 18.8% in 2023 and from 20.4% in 2022, according to data tabulated from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).
Oct 13, 2025
Hispanics Comprise Nearly One-Third of the Construction Labor ForceDiversifying the construction labor force remains a key priority amid persistent skilled labor shortages. According to the 2023 American Community Survey, non-Hispanic White workers still account for the majority of the construction industry at 57%. Hispanic workers now represent nearly one-third of the labor force at 32%, followed by non-Hispanic Black workers at 5% and non-Hispanic Asian workers at 1.8%.
Oct 10, 2025
Vinyl Surpasses Stucco as Most Used Principal Exterior Wall MaterialIn 2024, vinyl siding was the most used principal exterior wall material for homes started. It holds just over a quarter share of homes, slightly surpassing stucco for the first time since 2018.