The Mobile Press Register reports
that the demand for construction workers in the Gulf Coast area could
hamper construction in the rest of the Southeast. On the other hand,
the relatively low pay in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane
present problems for that region.
Mike Wald, a Southeast regional economist for the federal Bureau of
Labor Statistics, said the search for qualified workers likely will
reach from coast to coast. But the hiring process could be slow, he
said, because construction jobs in the three states hit hardest by the
storm tend to pay significantly less than in other areas of the country.
“The fact is we’re going to have to compete for skilled laborers, and
the places where we could draw from — even depressed places in West
Virginia and Illinois — already pay higher than we do,” Wald said.
“The demand could drive up construction pay rates nationwide.”
