Construction Industry Job News
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Construction Job News from the Daily Press: "It's no secret that construction has slowed on new homes in the Victor Valley and workers are feeling the pinch. 'Since the beginning of the year, our lobby’s been full,' said Robert Lovingood, president of (a) local staffing firm. 'We have a steady stream of people looking for work…especially those in the construction trades.'""Few semi-skilled workers, especially those who have been working on mass-produced tract homes, are equipped to transfer over to commercial work. 'They're programmed to do one thing in every house,' said Chris Cox of Cox Plumbing. 'They're set up to do one particular phase of plumbing, and that's all they know. It's electricians, it's framers, it's everything. They only get the opportunity to do just ceiling fans, just switches and plugs.'"
"For workers who know houses, life is bound to be tough at least until summer, possibly another year, said economist John Husing. 'You have to work off the inventory of new homes that was just completed,' he said. 'A lot of builders kept right on building up until December because they didn't want vacant lots on their books.'"
"Some construction workers are transferring over to warehousing work, said Gloria Stanton, manager of the Victorville office of Select Personnel Services. 'I'm hearing, I'll do anything,' she said, not only from construction workers but from educated professionals such as paralegals and accountants."
"Cox said out of 10 housing contractors he used to work for, he is only working for two at the moment. 'It's a cycle. It's like anything else,' he said. 'You ride the wave until it dies and wait for it to pick back up.'"
Labels: construction jobs, Construction News
