Regional construction pipelines and labor wages: How does Greenville, SC stack up?

U.S. construction job openings increased by 120,000 openings to start the year, while hiring decreased by 18,000 jobs, indicating a personnel shortage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. With fewer workers, projects will take longer, and labor costs will rise as companies compete for quality laborers.
Since the pandemic, the wage disparity across all Southeast markets has diminished, signaling competitive labor conditions among Southeast metros. This suggests that the volume of work is less influential in determining pay, with competition for workers becoming a more critical factor.
One of the top industries in the Upstate of South Carolina is manufacturing, making up 18% of the workforce. The construction sector composes 5% of the Upstate’s workforce. Major companies like BMW, Michelin, and GE Power are competing with the construction sector for a similar labor pool. This may be the cause of significant increases in hourly construction wages.

June 6, 2023

US-SC-GSP Greenville