Dive Brief:

• It’s probably no surprise to those who make their career in the construction industry: Many construction workers are feeling a lot of pressure. In fact, 47% of construction worker respondents to a survey by StrongArm Technologies said they are currently stressed on the job.
• The two biggest causes of stress were difficulty recruiting new employees to help with the day-to-day work and not being paid enough, according to the research, which was shared with Construction Dive. Half said the industry was having a harder time recruiting new workers, while one in four workers had concerns they weren’t getting paid enough.
• Meanwhile, about a third of workers said it's difficult to take time for vacation, and roughly the same share of workers said their job had negative effects on their mental health (12%) and physical health (11%).

Dive Insight:

Brooklyn, New York-based wearable safety technology company StrongArm’s report focused largely on its broader customer base: industrial workers in manufacturing, construction and warehousing and transport. 

The report highlighted three key “actionable insights” from a survey of 600 workers across those industries:

• Workplace stress’ impact on home life.
• The lack of on-the-job training.
• The need to further prioritize worker safety.

About one in five industrial workers reported they have felt resistance to change to make their profession more conducive to a work/life balance. Of the construction workers surveyed, 16% said their jobs are working them too hard to engage easily with friends or family outside of work.

StrongArm conducted the research in part because changes in work culture — such as a large uptick in remote work and flexible hours — have swept through white collar jobs and workers, while roles in industries like construction and manufacturing haven’t seen that shift to the same extent, CEO Sean Petterson told Construction Dive. Many are deciding the mental and emotional stress isn’t worth it.

“This workforce is seeing all of these factors come together in a reality that puts labor shortages and earning stability directly at odds with consumer demand and corporate expectation, and are rightfully worried about what their job will look like in six months or a year’s time, how much support they’ll have on site and the impact it will have on their lives,” Petterson said.