According to a study by the American Supply Association (ASA), roughly 200,000 people are currently employed in the manufacturing and distribution segments of the plumbing, heating, cooling and piping (PHCP) and pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) industry. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 400,000 installers are now employed. Thus, the plumbing industry is a significant source of high-paying professional jobs.
Unfortunately, industry experts predict the industry will lose 25% of its current labor force in the next 18 years and nearly half by 2035. But shortages are already having significant impact on the delivery and installation of industry products in both the plumbing and industrial PVF markets. Distributors are reporting that product earmarked for a project sits on warehouse shelves because of backlog from contractors. And representatives from the contractor sector report contractors are declining new work due to current lack of labor availability. Authoritative studies predict this labor shortage will escalate construction prices and hinder the availability of dependable services to Americans who need system repairs and renovations. A barrier to meeting the demand of a shrinking labor force is that after graduating high school, many students who enter formal Bureau of Apprenticeship (BAT) programs fail to complete the four-year curriculum.