b'12 Business Management7 CORONAVIRUS RELATED CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES THAT WILL CONTINUE IN2021The industry will continue to face significant headwinds, Dedicated to keeping its members at the forefront in their industryeconomistsandotherexpertspredict.Morethan10 months since the first coronavirus cases were reported inWuhan,China,COVID-19sglobalspreadcontinues to plague commercial construction.By: Shelly D. Hutchins LEED-APS ince the pandemic hit the U.S., contractorsLooking ahead to once a recovery begins, labor acrossthecountryhavefacedarangegaps might get even larger, especially in states ofobstaclesincludinglayoffs,projectlike California, Texas and New York, according to shutdowns and increased construction costs. Daniel Pomfrett, vice president of Los Angeles-based project management and cost consulting As 2021 begins, economists and industry expertsfirm Cumming Corp. Lack of worker migrationpredictmanyoftheseissueswillcontinuetoespecially to expensive markets with greater job challengecontractors.Herearethetopsevenopportunities like California and New Yorkalso factors to watch: aggravates the labor shortage, Pomfrett said.LaborshortagePre-pandemic,theindustryShrinkingbacklogAssociatedBuildersand faced a historic shortage of skilled labor and theContractorsConstructionBacklogIndicatorfell issueisntgoingawayjustbecauseCOVID-19to7.5monthsinSeptember,adeclineof0.5 hasshutdownprojectsandslowedothers.monthsfrom Augustsreadingand1.5months Although firms have been calling back workerslowerthanlastyearatthistime.Inaddition, who were laid off in the spring of 2020, some havetheassociationsConstructionConfidence refused to return to work, citing a preference forIndex readings for sales and profit margins also unemployment benefits, virus concerns or familydecreased. The months ahead dont look hopeful responsibilities. for contractors looking to add to their backlog of The InsulatorJanuary 2021'