U.S.
New research identifies construction skilled labor gap as a major barrier to post-disaster rebuilding
One year after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, new research released today by The Home Depot Foundation and Morning Consult highlights a growing tension in disaster recovery: even when funding is available, skilled labor often is not. According to the survey, nearly 60% of Americans lack high confidence in their community's ability to rebuild quickly, and professional contractors (Pros) who've worked on disaster recovery projects cite qualified help as their greatest need to support this
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[{"type":"text","content":"ATLANTA, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, new research released today by The Home Depot Foundation and Morning Consult highlights a growing tension in disaster recovery: even when funding is available, skilled labor often is not. According to the survey, nearly 60% of Americans lack high confidence in their community's ability to rebuild quickly, and professional contractors (Pros) who've worked on disaster recovery projects cite qualified help as their greatest need to support this work.","length":552,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Post-disaster rebuilding survey stats from The Home Depot Foundation and Morning Consult","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Post-disaster rebuilding survey stats from The Home Depot Foundation and Morning Consult","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":225,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/d473577f88bf83d125a50d05d4b9766b"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/pCcic_iOJhyYBYsdf8QDLg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5NztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/d473577f88bf83d125a50d05d4b9766b","width":400,"height":225}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2864886/The_Home_Depot_Foundation_1.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"With 40% of the current construction workforce set to retire by 2031, the research highlights how a shrinking talent pool creates an economic lag in disaster-affected regions and underscores the need for initiatives like the Foundation's Path to Pro program, which offers accessible pathways to those pursuing a career in the construction trades.","length":355,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Key insights from the survey include:","length":37,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"list","items":[{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"Roughly one-third of adults (36%) say their communities have been affected by a natural disaster in the last five years.","length":120,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"Of those rebuilding after a disaster, more than half (52%) believe the recovery process has taken longer than expected.","length":119,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"78% of residents in regions recently impacted by disasters, such as Los Angeles, Texas,...