A national shortage of construction workers is driving high home prices. The industry is struggling to fill the gap.

• The construction industry is facing a labor shortage of about 500,000 workers this year.
• The worker shortage is pushing up housing costs amid a national housing shortage. 
• Industry experts say the US needs to invest in creating a pipeline from schools to construction sites.

When the pandemic hit the US in the spring of 2020, construction projects of all kinds froze and workers were laid off in huge numbers. But as remote work took hold and many sought larger homes, demand for new residential construction quickly picked up and workers were back on the job.