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Construction contractors expect to hire more in 2017

FDOT hosting job fair in Clearwater on Wednesday
Posted at 5:39 PM, Jan 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-10 17:39:09-05

There's a lot of optimism among private contractors that they will be hiring more people in 2017.

 

 

 

73 percent of recently surveyed construction firms said they expect to expand their payroll in 2017, according to the survey results released Tuesday by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate. The firms said in the survey they expect private and public sector demand to grow.

“Contractors have relatively high expectations for 2017 as they predict the economy and demands for all types of construction will grow,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “As a result of this optimism, many firms expect to expand their headcount next year.”

In Florida, some of the biggest areas of growth are expected in the transportation fields.

Contractors that work in highways report they expect a 36 percent increase in volume in 2017, and contractors that work in other transportation-related fields, like transit, rail and airports, say they expect a whopping 60 percent volume jump.

To find those new employees, contractors that work frequently for the Florida Department of Transportation (F-DOT) held a job fair Tuesday in Tampa for work in the coming 2017 season; jobs available include general laborers, carpenters, concrete finishers, flaggers, truck drivers, heavy machine operators, asphalt pavers, and a variety of other construction positions.

Several of the companies at the job fair told ABC Action News that they are struggling to find enough capable and qualified employees, even though the pay is good. Many companies are increasingly willing to train new and inexperienced employees because the demand is so high.

There is another F-DOT job fair in Clearwater on Wednesday, January 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Tampa High Point Neighborhood Family Center at 5812 150th Ave N., Clearwater, Florida. The site is available by public transit, and free parking is available as well.

You can also learn more about the job fairs at OnBoard4Jobs.com.