Senate Introduces NAHB-Supported Workforce Development Bill
Bipartisan legislation championed by NAHB that is tailored specifically to ease the severe residential construction labor shortage was introduced in the Senate yesterday.
Sens. Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools (CONSTRUCTS) Act, legislation that will support the construction workforce, help improve the housing supply and bend the rising housing cost curve across the nation. Both senators championed this bill in the previous Congress as well.
The CONSTRUCTS Act directly addresses the lack of workers in the housing sector by expanding opportunities for residential construction training programs at community colleges, technical education schools and other training programs.
In any given month, there is a shortage of 200,000 to 400,000 construction workers, and home builders will need to add 2.2 million new workers over the next three years just to keep up with demand. By supporting funding for building and construction trades education, this legislation would bolster the housing workforce and directly address the shortage of skilled construction workers.
Companion legislation is expected to be introduced in the House in the near term.
Latest from NAHBNow
According to the NAHB Member Census, 21% of NAHB builder members listed residential remodeling as their primary business. These remodelers tend to be relatively small, with a median of five employees and a median annual revenue of $2.1 million.
NAHB filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit immigration case Sosnava Rodriguez v. Ortega. The case asks whether a person who entered the United States without official inspection may seek release on bond from a judge while the government considers deportation.
Latest Economic News
New homes with 5,000 square feet or more of living space posted an increase in market share last year. In 2025, 27,000 homes of this size were started, accounting for 2.9% of all new homes started. Both the number and market share of homes with 5,000 square feet or more increased from 2024, according to annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).
Twenty-one percent of NAHB builder members listed residential remodeling as their primary business, according to the 2025 Member Census. These remodelers tend to be relatively small, with a median of five employees and a median annual revenue of $2.1 million. This means that remodelers are even smaller than NAHB builder members, who had a median of six employees and median annual revenue of $3.7 million, as reported in a recent post.
Total tax revenue collected by state and local governments was up 5.8% from a year ago in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue published by the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the highest year-over-year growth since the third quarter of 2024 (7.2%).