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As contractors contend with project delays and cancellations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many are still struggling to find skilled workers, according to a survey from the Associated General Contractors of America.

AGC in August polled more than 2,000 construction companies nationally on how they were faring during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group found 60 percent of companies have seen future projects delayed or canceled since the pandemic began last spring, while another 33 percent said they’d seen a project that was already underway shut down because of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, 52 percent of firms said they are still struggling with a problem that pre-dated the outbreak: a shortage of skilled labor.

鈥淔ew firms have survived unscathed from the pandemic amid widespread project delays and cancellations,鈥� said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, in a statement. 鈥淚ronically, even as the pandemic undermines demand for construction services, it is reinforcing conditions that have historically made it hard for many firms to find qualified craft workers to hire.鈥�

Such a combination has amounted to a “one-two punch” for the construction industry, said Stephen Sandherr, the association’s CEO, and point to the industry’s need for federal help.

The survey shows many firms experienced project shutdowns or cancellations during the pandemic. Nationally, 66 percent of respondents said they’d seen similar project delays or cancellations.

Laborers, carpenters, and heavy equipment operators were the most in-demand craft positions, according to the survey.

The survey also asked companies what federal action they’d like to see to address the pandemic. Most respondents said federal infrastructure spending and rules blocking lawsuits over COVID-19 exposure in the workplace would help them recover from the pandemic.

鈥淭here is a lot that Washington (D.C.) officials can do to help boost demand for construction projects and get more people back to work rebuilding the economy,鈥� Sandherr said. 鈥淭he challenge is that the coronavirus has put many contractors in the position of looking for work and workers at the same time.鈥�