Construction's jobs crisis has been growing for decades. The issue is widespread: 92% of contractors have reported difficulty finding construction workers and of those, 42% said they have turned down work because of it, according to the most recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index.

At the same time, the pandemic has made it harder to meet demand, as large swaths of the workforce retired, and emerging Gen Z workers seek more flexibility and higher pay for their careers.

With these stories, Construction Dive takes a look at the factors leading to the crisis, methods for recruiting new workers and ways to ensure that employees on site are there to build careers, not just work a job.