Minnesota Construction Companies Need Workers

ST. PAUL (AP) - With the recession over, Minnesota construction companies are scrambling to fill their open jobs.

The state's construction industry shed tens of thousands of jobs during the housing crash, but it's booming again.  According to state employment data, construction is by far the fastest growing industry in the state, notwithstanding some job losses in the sector last month.

In recent months, construction managers have found it much harder to find people with experience, like lead carpenters. After years of little or no work, many of the most seasoned workers gave up and moved on.

One problem in luring them back is that wages often haven't recovered to pre-downturn levels.

Labor market analyst Steve Hine says employers may need to boot pay and scale back experience requirements.