Construction Workers Needed in Ohio

  • Editorial Team
  • News
  • 1 September 2022

The State of Ohio is looking to recruit 7,000 construction workers for the construction of a 20-billion-dollar semiconductor manufacturing facility close to the state capital, so if you have ever thought about relocating there to work in the construction industry, now may be the perfect time for you to do just that. The project is Ohio’s biggest economic development endeavor, and it creates a dilemma in terms of employment in how to recruit thousands of construction employees in an industry that is currently flourishing while there is simultaneously a scarcity of skilled workers nationwide. Intel declared early in the year that they are anticipating two factories, called fabs, to be operational by 2025 and employ 3,000 employees with an average annual pay of around $135,000 each. However, the 1,000-acre property must first be leveled and the semiconductor plants constructed prior to that actually happening.

After Congress’ confirmation last month of a package bolstering the semiconductor sector and its research activities in an effort to generate more high-tech employment in the United States and enable the U.S. to effectively compete with their foreign rivals, construction is likely to pick up speed. It is comprised of a 25% tax credit for businesses that invest in chip facilities in the U.S. as well as more than 52 billion dollars in subsidies and other benefits for the semiconductor market. To guarantee the right number of skilled workers, California-based Intel will draw on the insights acquired from constructing earlier semiconductor facilities around the country and around the world, the company stated in a release.

Several Ongoing Projects Necessitate Hiring Additional Workers 

In central Ohio, there are many other ongoing projects including a 28-story Hilton close to downtown Columbus, a 2-billion-dollar expansion plan of Ohio State University’s medical center, and a 365-million-dollar Amgen bio manufacturing facility not far from the Intel plant. Labor group leaders and other competent state authorities concede that there is not, as of now, a resource of 7,000 additional workers available. Additionally, there are proposals for a new 200-million-dollar municipal courthouse south of Columbus and to start construction of three additional Google and Amazon data centers. There are also an array of solar initiatives that alone might need roughly 6,000 new construction workers.

How to Combat Worker Shortage

Training initiatives, several campaigns to urge more high school graduates to pursue careers in trades, and basic economics all work to level the gap created by the shortage of skilled labor. Even if you have all the necessary equipment for the job, without trained operators it will be of no use. If you don’t want your 966G front end wheel loader to sit idly wasting precious time, you need to take the matter into your own hands. Try to combat worker shortage with training initiatives and different campaigns.

According to Dorsey Hager, the executive secretary and treasurer of the Columbus Building Trades Council, the yearly salary for experienced construction tradesmen and workers might reach $125,000 when overtime is taken into account. According to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is responsible for the state’s economic development, the Intel project is so significant and lucrative that it will unlock prospects for those who previously would not have been able to envision a career in construction. You will discover the talent once you are prepared to pay somebody more to do something, he claimed.