SUGAR LAND, TX — (Marketwired) — 08/26/13 — Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) — The booming along the U.S. Gulf Coast is presenting pipefitters and other skilled craft laborers with a startling number of new job opportunities. Industrial Info–s is predicting 12 million additional man hours of labor for pipefitters alone through 2015, and North America–s Building Trades Unions are expecting to see more prospective students sign up for the training necessary for employment in the field.
At the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 211 in Houston, Texas, union members sounded optimistic about the growing Gulf Coast opportunities as they hosted a walking tour of their training center last week. The tour was the culmination of a two-day “Leadership Summit” sponsored by North America–s Building Trades Unions. The union–s five-year apprenticeship school offers hands-on experience in HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and pipe-fitting and welding.
“One of our contractors already has $20 million worth of work secured [in the Gulf region],” said Randel Beal, the HVAC coordinator for the union. “I don–t know how many men that ends up being, but they–ve already got that work secured. It–s going to happen.”
As capital investment grows in a geographic area, so do the employment opportunities for skilled craft laborers. Gulf Coast areas anticipating this trend include Lake Charles, Louisiana; Corpus Christi, Texas; Beaumont, Texas; and Pascagoula, Mississippi. In addition to growth in the , , and industries, many of these areas are expected to see strong development in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in the coming years.
As part of its , Industrial Info forecasts that craft labor hours for pipefitters in the Gulf Coast region will increase from 23.8 million in 2013 to about 36 million in 2015. The number of man hours is not expected to return to 2013 levels until 2019-2020. Sharp upticks are expected in other crafts as well, including scaffolding builders, welders, ironworkers and more.
The Houston and Beaumont areas also are expecting to see job growth in the coming years, but are facing strong competition from other employers in the region. Based on current schedules, labor demand in the Lake Charles area alone is expected to hit a record high in 2016. Required labor hours for pipefitters are expected to skyrocket from about 2.42 million in 2013 to almost 8.79 million in 2016.
Drawing on Industrial Info–s , the provides detailed information for nine metropolitan areas between Brownsville and Pascagoula, including:
Historic and forecast labor hour needs for each metropolitan area through 2020 for 13 skilled crafts
Industrial capital and maintenance spending estimates through 2020
Current wage rates and expectations for the future
An executive summary detailing the causes and expectations for changes in labor supply and demand, and more
Industrial Info–s tools to track this changing labor market include the Five-Year Labor Supply & Demand Outlook, the Manpower Market Analyzer, as well labor market analyses for the and regions, which provide detailed labor information for metropolitan areas throughout North America.
For more details about this annual forecast subscription, contact Tony Salemme, vice president of Industrial Info–s Craft Labor Group at or by calling (209) 547-9878.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info–s quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what–s happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the “” page.
Contact:
Tony Salemme
209-547-9878