“Commonsense conditions, policies, and educational systems are vital in creating quality infrastructure built safely, efficiently, and effectively for taxpayers,” said Ben Brubeck, ABC’s Vice President of Regulatory, Labor, and State Affairs. “More than 88 percent of the U.S. construction industry has already made the choice not to join a union, and the construction industry is facing a skilled labor shortage of more than half a million people. Anti-competitive policies only impede the vast majority of merit shop contractors from building and working in their own communities and further exacerbate the industry’s labor shortage. Taxpayers are best served by policy and educational priorities that create a level playing field for all contractors to compete.”
Georgia’s construction industry continues to prosper, and it earned the top spot due to the state’s continued dedication to workforce development. This year, 99 percent of career and technical education students in the state earned a credential and/or continued to a career. Along with inclusive policies that welcome all of the construction industry to compete to build projects in their communities, Georgia’s construction employment continues to grow. Georgia claimed third in the 2022 rankings.
Florida followed Georgia in second in 2023. Since the inception of the rankings, Florida has placed in the top 10 and continues to be a model state for the merit shop, excelling in the preservation of fair and open competition and creating a policy environment for the entire industry to succeed, especially in fostering a pipeline of highly skilled workers.
