This year promises to bring changes to the roofing industry both good and bad. Currently, there is uncertainty regarding immigration policies which is sure to impact labor and the roofing industry. With more than half of the trade filled by workers of Hispanic origin, there is currently a labor shortage for roofing companies across the country. Thankfully, there could be good news on the horizon.
Immigration Laws and the Roofing Industry in 2019
It is possible that current attempts to tackle and change immigration laws could give the roofing industry much needed change for the better. Close to 20 percent of the recent loss in roofing business is a direct result of these worker shortages. Since all current attempts to slow illegal immigration have been successful, there continues to be a shortage of roofing labor. All that is needed is a sensible immigration reform which would make it possible to remedy these problems for the industry. If the labor shortage was to be corrected, the roofing industry could stand a chance of recouping the loss of recent business. The roofing industry along with many trade professions has been hit so hard by current immigration laws and as the government continues to argue between the need for additional workers and the demand for secure borders, the solution may seem too far off. We are hoping for a positive immigration reform that will resolve the labor shortage challenges currently facing the industry.
Final Thoughts
Recent developments to make roofing installation easier have been started and the industry has made efforts to certify workers and increase the prestige of working in these trade professions in an attempt to boost the workforce. These are great steps forward, but there is still much loss to the industry’s success without workers. Despite these additional efforts being made to improve things in the meantime, only immigration reforms will bring a real solution.