Home Builders Say Deportations Only One Factor In Skill Shortage

Based on KTRH / iHeartMedia

Introduction

The U.S. residential construction industry continues to grapple with a growing skilled labor shortage. While media coverage often focuses on immigration enforcement and deportations, industry insiders warn those are only part of the story.

Key Points from the Article

  • Builders estimate that the talent gap is costing the U.S. homebuilding industry at least $12 billion annually in lost time and unbuilt homes.
  • Lance Thrailkill, founder of Printed Technologies, notes that deportations have removed some workers with experience in trades like roofing, drywall, painting, and framing—but the shortage predates these policy shifts.
  • He argues that education and training must play a bigger role: bringing back shop classes in high schools, expanding technical training, and reframing skilled trades as viable, well-paying careers.
  • Although he supports immigration law enforcement, Thrailkill emphasizes that removing undocumented labor is only exacerbating deeper structural challenges.

Commentary & Implications

This article underscores a broader narrative: that labor shortages in construction are systemic, not solely policy-driven. Overreliance on low-wage immigrant labor has masked gaps in U.S. vocational training and workforce development for years. As builders face rising material costs and regulatory complexity, solving the labor gap may hinge more on innovation, automation, and upskilling the domestic workforce than on immigration policy alone.