If construction jobs are suddenly sitting idle, there is a reason for that--Hurricane Harvey.
News Radio 1200 WOAI reports that, as predicted, the rebuilding effort in the coastal bend and the Houston area is attracting construction labor from places like San Antonio.
"Some workers have left the San Antonio area and are working along the Gulf Coast," said Doug McMurry, who heads the San Antonio Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. "Some projects have delayed schedules as a result of the storms."
The main reason---the large number of projects underway in the damaged areas mean skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen, from dry wall hangers to HVAC installers, can make more money in the hurricane area.
And McMurry says the problem is more pronounced among residential construction projects than among commercial or governmental construction, like schools and highways.
But he says it demonstrates an ongoing serious problem facing the Texas construction industry.
"The shortage of skilled workers in the construction field is a perennial problem," he said. "It has only been made worse by the hurricane."
And Harvey is having another impact on construction. Since construction materials are in stronger demand, that means prices are going up, and that is raising the costs of all types of construction and renovation.