Using Competitive Wages to Attract Applicants

As the unemployment rate for construction workers during Covid-19 improves, so do the wages for workers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in the BLS Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National) an increase in the average hourly earnings for all construction employees from $31.65 in June 2020 to $31.83 in September, an increase of 18 cents over four months. This trend demonstrates that construction workers remains in high demand and wages may continue rising as competition for skilled workers increases.

Wages can also be used as a recruitment strategy to attract in-demand candidates. Covid-19 has transitioned the recruitment of qualified candidates from traditional job fairs to a virtual environment. Some tips for recruiters that post jobs on online job boards, is to list the wage for the open position. This will lead to more candidates clicking and ultimately applying, especially if the wage is competitive.

Candidates don’t want to waste their time applying and interviewing for a position only to find out that the pay is less than expected. Without in-person recruiters that are able to speak with candidates and explain the culture and benefits that your company has to offer, candidates searching online will make a decision to apply by looking at your job listing. This is why having a strong and informative job listing (including wage rates) will make your job post attractive to potential candidates.

Update: An earlier version of this article appeared on HispanicConstructionJobs.com on December 8, 2020 prior to the rebranding of the website to the current name, ConstructionTrabajos.com in 2025. All links and names to the previous website have been updated with the new website link and name.