Home Builders Say Deportations Only One Factor In Skill Shortage

Based on WOAI / iHeartMedia

Overview

This version of the story, published on WOAI, echoes many of the themes in the KTRH article. The focus is on how deportations play into—but do not fully explain—the construction labor shortage.

Notable Excerpts

  • The article reaffirms the $12 billion annual loss in potential construction due to delays and unfilled positions.
  • Lance Thrailkill is quoted on how trades like framing, sheetrock, and painting are especially hard hit by labor gaps.
  • The piece stresses the importance of reintroducing shop classes and vocational programs as pathways into trades.
  • It also mentions that Thrailkill views the shortage as a multi‑faceted problem—not one solved simply by shifting immigration policy.

Takeaways

This duplication of the narrative across multiple regional news outlets suggests that builders and advocates are pushing this message widely. That speaks to the urgency they feel and the alignment of opinion across markets: solving the labor shortage will require structural changes, not just short-term fixes.