Construction Partner-in-Charge Joe Natarelli and Chief Economist Anirban Basu wrote about the importance of increasing diversity in the national construction workforce, in an article for the May/June issue of Construction Accounting & Taxation.
Construction Accounting & Taxation
By Joseph Natarelli, National Construction Industry Group Leader and Anirban Basu, Chief Construction Economist
Excerpt:
Americans are deeply divided on many issues – something that has become increasingly apparent during the ongoing presidential election cycle. The dimensions along which these divisions persist are perhaps too numerous to mention but include positions on immigration, international trade, the 1 percent, the Affordable Care Act, women’s health, the minimum wage, affordable housing, and personal and corporate tax rates.
Imagine a circumstance under which people who fixate on social justice and those who strive to sustainably operate businesses could rally around an issue and agree. It is hard to conceive of many issues likely to generate agreement and alignment, but one of them is assuredly the goal of attracting more women and minorities into the domestic construction industry.
Most contractors are well aware of the difficulties in recruiting motivated, talented, and trained personnel into the construction trades. Despite a national obsession with the shrinking middle class of the United States, today’s workforce persistently over looks middle-income opportunities associated with improving the character and capacities of the nation’s built environment. Others bemoan higher unemployment rates among minorities and excessively low compensation among women.
