“There simply are not enough people.” That’s how Paul Morgan sums up the American construction labor shortage — one that is going to get worse before it gets better.
As global chief operating officer of real estate management services at Jones Lang LaSalle, Morgan directs JLL Workplace Management and oversees 53,000 facilities management professionals worldwide. He knows what corporate and commercial real estate needs in skilled trades labor — everything from building a facility to maintaining it.
That’s why he’s championing an effort to solve the U.S. skilled trades crisis. According to JLL research published in April, there’s a persistent talent gap in the commercial real estate workforce and an urgent need for a coordinated industry response.
“As the U.S. grapples with aging building stock and the need for infrastructure modernization, a critical workforce challenge threatens the commercial real estate sector’s ability to maintain, modernize and operate the built environment,” states the report authored by JLL researchers Wei Xie and Steven Lewis. “Our research reveals that by 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades positions for electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, pipefitters, construction equipment operators, general maintenance workers and more could go unfilled. With potential economic losses reaching $1 trillion annually, this shortfall of skilled trades workers poses substantial risks to business continuity and economic resilience.”
Morgan says it’s time to sound the alarm. “Tradespeople are the custodians of the physical infrastructure upon which every organization depends,” he says. “We’re at a critical inflection point where demand for skilled trades is accelerating while the available workforce shrinks. This systemic crisis threatens how we power our data centers, cool our laboratories, secure our manufacturing facilities and maintain the spaces where millions of Americans work. We risk operational disruptions that will ripple through the entire economy, affecting everything from construction timelines to energy costs to building safety. The window to act is now, before the gap becomes insurmountable.”
JLL’s study, “Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Today,” reveals:
- Fifty-three percent of U.S. commercial buildings were constructed before 1990 and need critical modernization and physical plant upgrades.
- Demand for skilled trades positions is vastly outpacing supply. Electrician positions are expected to grow 9.5% through 2034 — triple the 3.1% growth rate among all occupations — while HVAC technicians face 8.1% growth over the same period.
- The supply-vs.-demand imbalance has reached crisis proportions. In 2025, nearly 600,000 new jobs were posted for major skilled trades positions nationwide, while only about 150,000 new workers entered the labor pool through apprenticeship programs. According to the U.S. Department of Education, for every five workers who retire from the construction trades, manufacturing and other skilled trades sectors, only two replacements enter the labor force.
- Demand for technically specialized talent is expected to grow exponentially as modern office buildings, data centers, life science labs and advanced manufacturing plants require higher levels of training and expertise.
Morgan says, “These factors place a greater demand on the labor force. More construction means more organizations outsource more. For example, you won’t find people with 20 years of experience in data centers. We must build a pipeline to grow that capability.”
Meeting the need begins with changing the perception of the skilled trades, he says. “Too many people leaving school today don’t think about the skilled trades. There is a lot more we can do to make this a long-term career path to success. We have a great example of that at JLL. One young man began his career as a mobile technician for a telecom firm. Now he’s responsible for technology strategy at JLL.”
He adds, “It’s a fallacy to say you cannot have a successful long-term career in the skilled trades. Eventually, robots may change filters and switches, but in the short term that is not going to happen. That is a perception we have to correct.”
Paul Morgan, COO, Real Estate Management Services, JLL
Morgan cites programs bearing fruit:
- In March 2026, BlackRock announced a $100 million Future Builders initiative to expand skilled trades workforce development with a goal to reach 50,000 workers in the next five years.
- Caterpillar committed $100 million through its Building the Future Workforce program to help upskill and future-proof the workforce through digital and technological transformation.
- JLL launched a pilot program for comprehensive skilled trades internships. Partnering with trade schools across multiple U.S. markets, the 26-week program balances classroom learning with on-the-job training. To date, 90 eligible graduates have already received full-time job offers.
- Stanley Black & Decker committed $60 million to reskill and upskill trades workers.
- The Home Depot Foundation is investing $50 million into Path to Pro to help schools and training organizations upgrade facilities and resources to attract the next generation of skilled tradespeople.
“Employers that smartly invest in workforce development can secure competitive advantages in cost control, service quality and facility resilience,” says Morgan. “This is both a business imperative and a strategic obligation. It goes back to a commitment to build, grow and retain. It’s about finding partners to work with and raising awareness of the longevity and success of skilled trades careers. The more we collectively do this, the more we’ll alleviate many of these skillset shortages before they materialize.”
With traditional college student loan debt approaching $1.8 trillion, says Morgan, the country doesn’t help workers by pretending that nothing is broken in higher education.
“Attention drives results,” he says. “That’s the philosophy behind this JLL report.”
