The real problem behind the craft labor shortage
As you’re no doubt painfully aware, the construction industry is short 439,000 workers out of the 8.74 million it needs in 2025, a 5% gap, and 94% of construction employers cite this shortage as their top business challenge.
But industries like retail, software, and nursing have even bigger gaps, in some cases, nearly double (nursing for example is 10%) and yet none report the same level of disruption or urgency.
So why does construction feel it more acutely?
Because for construction this isn’t just a labor shortage, it’s a labor access problem.
Why construction can’t copy-paste solutions from other industries
The real hair-on-fire problem isn’t that we don’t have enough craft workers, it’s that we can’t access the ones we already have.
Other industries have adapted to alleviate their labor issues. Retail is deploying robotics. Software is outsourcing globally. Healthcare is automating nurse admin. But construction can’t do any of that. The constantly changing terrain of our jobsites make robotics a distant solution, craft work itself is hyper-local and can’t be offshored and the work itself has little to no admin to automate.
The actual blocker isn’t the nature of craft work, it’s the lack of a digital foundation. Without construction-specific worker data, there’s been no infrastructure for intelligent tools to exist. That’s why we’re stuck using a patchwork of outdated hiring tools like job boards, unions, referrals, staffing agencies and ATS software, all of which fall short in the same three ways:
Workers aren’t digitized. Craft workers are forced to use tools that don’t capture their skills, experience, or preferences. Only 18% even use job boards.
Search doesn’t work. Most systems lack construction-specific filters like certifications or trade history. Many recruiters don’t know exactly what criteria to search for, even if they could.
The tools don’t fit. Phone is still the primary channel for craft hiring, but most systems are built around email. This leaves craft recruiters overwhelmed and 75% of interested, qualified workers never getting a call back.
How AI unlocks access to craft talent
Construction doesn’t just need more labor, it needs a purpose-built hiring infrastructure that can surface, target, and mobilize the talent we already have and do it with speed, precision, and at scale. And thanks to AI, that’s now possible:
Voice-first interfaces to capture worker data. As a former skilled tradesman, I know hands are always in use. Conversational AI is letting craft workers build searchable profiles with their voice. They’re no longer typing or filling out forms, just conversing and building and maintaining data-rich profiles that best represent them.
Meaning-based search finally makes every worker discoverable. Semantic search understands the intent behind a search query, not just keywords, so recruiters (regardless of experience level) can find qualified candidates by describing the skill, project experience, or past employers.
Automated outreach and call scheduling ensures every interview happens. Today’s craft workers know their value and they’re no longer picking up random calls or waiting for follow-ups. Voice-native AI can now handle branded cold outreach, real-time follow-ups, and automated rescheduling, which ensures every single interested worker can be reached and gets a response, even on nights, and weekends.
The result is a fully digitized network of vetted craft workers that makes sourcing, screening, and connecting with talent effortless all while driving dramatically better hiring and project outcomes.
Scale your craft
At Skillit, we’re already turning this vision into reality. In addition to building the largest network of vetted craft workers in the country, our AI, Sam, is helping customers like Swinerton, Brasfield & Gorrie, and WB Moore scale their craft hiring efforts.
By prompting Sam to surface best-fit candidates instantly and handle the rote work of scheduling interviews, their teams are saving significant time and effort, freeing them up to focus on what matters most: building relationships with the right workers.
And in the coming years, AI will become the primary evaluator of craft talent, shifting recruiters from gatekeepers to high-leverage auditors, all while preserving the human touch where it matters most. Imagine it functioning as a fully predictive labor engine, capable of forecasting demand, managing deployment, and preventing labor gaps before they happen.
This is how construction solves its labor problem.
This is how America scales its craft.
