The Construction Users Roundtable will be helping the industry forecast labor supply and demand with a Web-based data-collection and forecasting tool. Owners and contractors who enter data will be able to run forecasts at no charge. The tool is a result of an initiative, commissioned by CURT, and managed by the non-profit Construction Workforce Development Center. About 50 owners have been using the database and inputting demand-side project data since February. The supply side of the model launched in mid-June, and 27 contractors have input craft labor availability data, according to CURT’s workforce consultant, Daniel Groves. The model is available at www.cwdcforecasting.com.
To address potential user concerns about data security, the model has “strong confidentiality and antitrust protocols,” says Groves. “Project data is visible to the user only and outputs are aggregate information, so no individual project or owner is ever revealed.” Craft labor demand is not everyone’s top concern now, Groves acknowledges. But using this database will allow owners, contractors and labor groups to be prepared as construction rebounds, he adds.