Florida Construction News staff writer
Even when recovery funding is in place, a lack of skilled construction workers is increasingly slowing disaster rebuilding efforts across the United States, according to new research released by The Home Depot Foundation and Morning Consult.
In regions recently impacted by disasters, including Tampa, Florida, along with Los Angeles, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky, 78 per cent of residents reported ongoing challenges with long-term recovery and reconstruction.
The findings come one year after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires and underscore a growing challenge facing disaster-affected regions, including parts of Florida: communities are struggling to rebuild quickly because qualified labor is in short supply.
Nearly 60 per cent of Americans surveyed said they do not have high confidence in their community’s ability to rebuild rapidly following a natural disaster. Among professional contractors who have worked on disaster recovery projects, 60 per cent cited difficulty finding skilled labor as the single biggest barrier to progress.
The issue is expected to intensify as the construction workforce ages. An estimated 40 per cent of current construction workers are expected to retire by 2031, shrinking the available labor pool at a time when extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.
The survey found that 36 per cent of U.S. adults said their community has been affected by a natural disaster in the past five years. Of those involved in rebuilding efforts, more than half — 52 per cent — said recovery has taken longer than expected.
Industry feedback mirrored those concerns. More than half of professional contractors surveyed said hiring skilled labor has been difficult, with the figure rising among contractors engaged specifically in disaster recovery work.
“We are seeing a clear trend where disaster-impacted communities are experiencing delays in long-term recovery and rebuilding, with the lack of available labor being one of the primary issues,” said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation.
In response, The Home Depot Foundation is expanding its Path to Pro workforce development initiatives, aimed at building a pipeline of skilled trades workers to support both everyday construction demand and disaster recovery.
Beginning in 2026, the Path to Pro Education Grants program will expand nationwide, allowing K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofit training organizations in all 50 states to apply for funding to purchase equipment, tools or upgrade training facilities.
The Foundation is also supporting workforce development through partnerships tied directly to disaster response. A $1-million collaboration with Team Rubicon is helping veterans and volunteers earn Home Builders Institute (HBI) PACT certifications, creating a mobile pool of trained workers available to stabilize and repair housing in disaster zones.
“As an organization focused on community resilience before, during and after disasters, we feel the impact of the growing skilled trades gap firsthand,” said Danica Deming, vice-president of workforce development for Team Rubicon. “Investing in training is essential to rebuilding stronger, more resilient communities.”
Launched in 2018, The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro program was backed by a $50-million commitment to address the skilled labor shortage through free certifications, youth engagement programs and entry-level job placement support.
The Morning Consult survey was conducted online between Nov. 26 and Dec. 17, 2025, polling 6,348 U.S. adults nationwide.
