Job Outlook For Construction and General Jobs laborers

Highlights For Construction and General Jobs laborers Lots of construction laborer jobs require a variety of basic skills, but others require specialized training and experience. Most Construction and General Jobs laborers learn on the job, but formal apprenticeship programs provide the most thorough preparation. Job opportunities vary by locality, but in lots of areas there will be competition, for jobs requiring limited skills. Laborers who have specialized skills or who can relocate near new construction projects ought to have the best opportunities. Nature of the Work For Construction and General Jobs laborers Construction and General Jobs laborers can be found on all construction sites performing a variety of tasks from the simple to the potentially hazardous.

They can be found at building, highway, and heavy construction sites; residential and commercial sites; tunnel and shaft excavations; and demolition sites. Lots of of the jobs they perform require physical strength, training, and experience. Other jobs require tiny skill and can be learned in a short amount of time. While most Construction and General Jobs laborers specialise in a kind of construction, such as highway or tunnel construction, some are generalists who perform lots of different tasks in the work of all stages of construction. Construction and General Jobs laborers, who work in underground construction, such as in tunnels, or in demolition are more likely to specialise in only those areas.

Construction and General Jobs laborers neat and prepare construction sites. They remove trees and debris, tend pumps, compressors and generators, and build forms for pouring concrete. They erect and disassemble scaffolding and other temporary structures. They load, unload, identify, and distribute building materials to the appropriate location according to project designs and specifications. Laborers also tend machines; for example, they may mix concrete using a transportable mixer or tend a machine that pumps concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through a spray gun for application to ceilings and walls. They often help other craftworkers, including carpenters, plasterers, operating engineers, and masons. Construction and General Jobs laborers are responsible for oversight of the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices and patterns. At highway construction sites, this work may include clearing and preparing highway work zones and rights of way; installing traffic barricades, cones, and markers; and controlling traffic passing near, in, and around work zones. They also dig trenches, install sewer, water, and storm drain pipes, and place concrete and asphalt on roads. Other highly specialized tasks include operating laser guidance equipment to place pipes; operating air, electric, and pneumatic drills; and transporting and setting explosives for tunnel, shaft, and road construction.

Some Construction and General Jobs laborers help with the removal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead, or chemicals. (Workers who specialise in and are certified for the removal of hazardous materials are discussed in the Handbook statement on hazardous materials removal workers.) Construction and General Jobs laborers operate a variety of equipment including pavement breakers; jackhammers; earth tampers; concrete, mortar, and plaster mixers; electric and hydraulic boring machines; torches; tiny mechanical hoists; laser beam equipment; and surveying and measuring equipment. They may use computers and other high-tech input devices to control robotic pipe cutters and cleaners. To perform their jobs effectively, Construction and General Jobs laborers must be familiar with the duties of other craftworkers and with the materials, tools, and machinery they use. Construction and General Jobs laborers often work as part of a team with other expert craftworkers, jointly carrying out assigned construction tasks. At other times, Construction and General Jobs laborers may work alone, reading and interpreting instructions, designs, and specifications with tiny or no supervision.

Work surroundings. Most laborers do physically demanding work. They may lift and carryover heavy objects, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl in awkward positions. Some work at great heights, or outside in all climatic conditions. Some jobs expose workers to harmful materials or chemicals, fumes, odors, loud noise, or hazardous machinery. Some laborers may be exposed to lead-based paint, asbestos, or other hazardous substances in the work of their work when working in confined spaces. To keep away from injury, workers in these jobs wear safety clothing, such as gloves, hardhats, protective chemical suits, and devices to protect their eyes, respiratory technique, or hearing. While working in underground construction, Construction and General Jobs laborers must be alert to safely follow procedures and must deal with a variety of hazards.

Construction and General Jobs laborers usually work 8-hour shifts, although longer shifts are common. Overnight work may be necessary when working on highways. In some parts of the country, Construction and General Jobs laborers may work only in the work of definite seasons. They may also experience weather-related work stoppages at any time of the year.

Job Training / Job Schooling Requirements For Construction and General Jobs laborers

Lots of construction laborer jobs require a variety of basic skills, but others require specialized training and experience. Most Construction and General Jobs laborers learn on the job, but formal apprenticeship programs provide the most thorough preparation. Schooling and training. While some construction laborer jobs have no specific educational qualifications or entry-level training, apprenticeships for laborers require a high school diploma or equivalent. High school classes in English, arithmetic, physics, mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, welding, and general shop can be helpful. Most workers start by getting a job with a contractor who provides on-the-job training. Increasingly, Construction and General Jobs laborers find work through temporary help agencies that send laborers to construction sites for short-term work. Entry-level workers usually help more experienced workers. They perform technique tasks, such as cleaning and preparing the worksite and unloading materials. When the chance arises, they learn from experienced construction trades workers how to do more difficult tasks, such as operating tools and equipment. Construction and General Jobs laborers may also select or be necessary to attend a trade or vocational school or community college to get further trade-related training.

Some laborers get more formal training. a lot of employers, large nonresidential construction contractors with union membership, offer employees formal apprenticeships, which give the best preparation. These programs include between 2 and 4 years of classroom and on-the-job training. In the first 200 hours, workers learn basic construction skills such as blueprint reading, the correct use of tools and equipment, and safety and health procedures. The remainder of the curriculum consists of specialized skills training in three of the largest segments of the construction industry: building construction, heavy and highway construction, and environmental remediation, such as lead or asbestos abatement, and mold or hazardous waste remediation.

Workers who use hazardous equipment or handle poisonous chemicals usually get specialized safety training. Laborers who remove hazardous materials are necessary to take union or employer-sponsored Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety training. Apprenticeship candidates usually must be at least 18 years elderly and meet local requirements. Because the number of apprenticeship programs is limited, however, only a tiny proportion of laborers learn their trade in this way.

Other qualifications. Laborers require manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, lovely physical fitness, a lovely sense of balance, and an ability to work as a member of a team. The ability to solve arithmetic issues quickly and exactly may be necessary. In addition, military service or a lovely work history is viewed favorably by contractors. Certification and advancement. Laborers may earn certifications in welding, scaffold erecting, and concrete finishing. These certifications help workers show that they have the knowledge to perform more complex tasks.

Through training and experience, laborers can move in to other construction occupations. Laborers may also advance to become construction supervisors or general contractors. For those who would like to advance, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish in order to relay instructions and safety precautions to workers with limited understanding of English; Spanish-speaking workers make up a immense part of the construction workforce in lots of areas. Supervisors and contractors require lovely communication skills to deal with clients and subcontractors. In addition, supervisors and contractors ought to be able to identify and estimate the quantity of materials needed to complete a job, and exactly estimate how long a job will take to complete and what it will cost. Computer skills are also important for advancement as construction becomes increasingly mechanized and computerized. Employment

Construction and General Jobs laborers held about 1.2 million jobs in 2006. They worked throughout the country but, like the general population, were concentrated in metropolitan areas. About 67 percent of Construction and General Jobs laborers work in the construction industry, including 30 percent who work for specialty trade contractors. About 17 percent were self-employed in 2006.

Job Outlook / Job Forecast

Employment is expected to grow about as fast as the average. In lots of areas, there will be competition for jobs, for those requiring limited skills. Laborers who have specialized skills or who can relocate near new construction projects ought to have the best opportunities.

Employment change. Employment of Construction and General Jobs laborers is expected to grow by 11 percent between 2006 and 2016, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The construction industry in general is expected to grow more slowly than it's in recent years. Due to the giant variety of tasks that laborers perform, demand for laborers will mirror the level of overall construction activity.

Construction laborer jobs will be adversely affected by automation as some jobs are replaced by new machinery and equipment that improves productivity and quality. Also, laborers will be increasingly employed by staffing agencies that will contract out laborers to employers on a temporary basis, and in lots of areas employers will continue to depend on day laborers in lieu of full-time laborers on staff.

Job prospects.

In lots of geographic areas there will be competition, for jobs requiring limited skills, due to a plentiful supply of workers who are willing to work as day laborers. In other areas, however, opportunities will be better. Overall opportunities will be best for those with experience and specialized skills and for those who can relocate to areas with new construction projects. Opportunities will even be better for laborers specializing in road construction. Employment of Construction and General Jobs laborers, like that of lots of other construction workers, is sensitive to the fluctuations of the economy. Workers in these trades may experience periods of unemployment when the general level of construction falls. On the other hand, shortages of these workers may occur in some areas in the work of peak periods of building activity.

Job Demand Forecast

Projections information from the National Employment Matrix Occupational title SOC Code Employment, 2006 Projected employment, 2016 Change, 2006-16 Detailed statistics

Number Percent

Construction and General Jobs laborers 47-2061 1,232,000 1,366,000 134,000 11 PDF zipped XLS

NOTE: Information in this table are rounded. See the discussion of the employment projections table in the Handbook introductory chapter on Occupational Information Included in the Handbook.

Earnings / Compensation

Median every hour earnings of wage and wage Construction and General Jobs laborers in May 2006 were $12.66. The middle 50 percent earned between $9.95 and $17.31. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.16, and the highest 10 percent earned over $24.19. Median every hour earnings in the industries employing the largest number of Construction and General Jobs laborers were as follows:

Nonresidential building construction $13.62
Other specialty trade contractors $12.93
Residential building construction $12.82
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors $12.41
Employment services $9.90

Earnings for Construction and General Jobs laborers can be reduced by poor weather or by downturns in construction activity, which sometimes lead to layoffs. Apprentices or helpers usually start out earning about 60 percent of the wage rate paid to experienced workers. Pay increases as apprentices gain experience and learn new skills. Some laborers belong to the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

Related Occupations General Jobs laborers is closely related to other construction occupations. Other workers who perform similar physical work include persons in warehouse and production, material moving occupations; forest, conservation, and logging workers; and grounds maintenance workers.

Job Category: Construction

Source: Courtesy of US Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics