Whether it’s a cry of frustration or an angry complaint, the phrase “people don’t want to work anymore” seems to have permeated social media as businesses of all types and sizes lament the great resignation.

Construction is no stranger to labor shortages. Over several decades, funding that advocates for higher education as the primary career route for young adults has continued to increase, drying the well of entry-level workers for the trades. Many believe there is a sentiment that people don’t want to work with their hands anymore in what can be a dirty, back-breaking job.

The industry faces a gap of roughly half a million workers, a shortage that will only worsen with increased demand for labor as a result of the billions of dollars set to flow from federal infrastructure funding.

But the fact of the matter is a career in construction can offer a clear pathway to the middle class and prosperity. 

Here, Construction Dive speaks with multiple sources about the dangers of assuming people don’t want to work, and how to proactively think about recruiting Generation Z and millenials to the trades.