Industry Insights.
34 articles
Construction Labor Shortage, DBE Suspension, and Heat Safety: What Hispanic Contractors Must Do Before July 2026
259,000 construction jobs sit open. Federal DBE solicitation volume has dropped more than 90 percent for many certified Hispanic contractors since October 2025. OSHA heat enforcement is now active and unannounced. Three urgent actions for Hispanic-owned construction firms in June 2026.
58 Percent of the Growth, 7.1 Percent of the Revenue: HCC's New National Study Documents the Hispanic Construction Capacity Gap
Hispanic workers filled 58 percent of all net new U.S. construction jobs between 2020 and 2025, yet Hispanic-owned firms capture only 7.1 percent of industry revenue. HCC's 2026 national study documents the $395 billion capacity gap and three policy actions to close it.
The Federal Program That Opened $40 Billion in Construction Contracts Has Been Suspended. Here Is What That Means for Hispanic Contractors.
The DOT October 2025 Interim Final Rule suspended every DBE certification in America. 53,500 certified firms are in a holding period with no national completion timeline. The litigation path closed March 31. Three actions Congress can take now.
Construction Heat Safety 2026: What OSHA's National Emphasis Program Means for Contractors
OSHA's CPL 03-00-024 heat NEP is active this summer. Construction accounts for 36% of heat deaths. Hispanic workers face 91% higher risk. Here is what contractors need to do before an inspection.
Hispanic Contractors Helped Build IIJA. Most Are Not Bidding on $3 Billion a Year in Water Infrastructure That IIJA Funds.
Hispanic contractors water infrastructure 2026: $3B in IIJA DWSRF contracts are open now. Most Hispanic construction firms are not in the bid cycle. This is the last full funding year.
Hispanic Construction Workers Are the Backbone of American Infrastructure
With 4.2 million workers representing 35.2% of the entire U.S. construction labor force, Hispanic workers are not just participants in American infrastructure. They are its foundation.
America's Construction Crisis: What 500,000 Unfilled Jobs Really Mean
The 50-state America's Construction Crisis report documents a workforce emergency. Half a million jobs go unfilled as infrastructure demand surges. Here's what that means for every American.
Tariffs Are Adding $17,000-$22,000 to Every New Home. Hispanic Families Pay the Price.
New tariffs on construction materials are adding an estimated $17,000 to $22,000 to the cost of every new home. That burden falls disproportionately on Hispanic families already stretched by housing costs.
If 900,000 Construction Workers Are Deported, Who Builds America?
Approximately 900,000 undocumented workers contribute to U.S. construction. Their removal would eliminate $37 billion in tax revenue and halt projects across every sector of the built environment.
The Bonding Barrier: Why the Most Qualified Hispanic Contractors Still Cannot Win the Bid
Surety bonding requirements lock thousands of qualified Hispanic-owned construction firms off public works bid lists. Forty-three percent of minority-owned contractors name bonding capacity as their top barrier, per AGC 2025 data. This is a capital access problem, not a competence problem.
2026 State of Hispanic Construction Report: The 10 Numbers Every Industry Leader Must Know
The 2026 State of Hispanic Construction Report is the most comprehensive dataset on Hispanic construction ever assembled. Here are the ten findings that reframe the entire industry conversation.
The Safety Gap: Why Hispanic Construction Workers Die at Disproportionate Rates
Hispanic workers represent 27% of construction fatalities. That's a crisis hiding in plain sight, and it's preventable with Spanish-language safety training and culturally competent programs.
Building America Stronger: How the Infrastructure Law Creates Opportunity and Who's Getting Left Out
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act committed billions to roads, bridges, broadband, and water. Our Building America Stronger report examines who is capturing those contracts, and why Hispanic-owned firms are being left behind.
The Fastest-Growing Segment of American Construction Business Nobody Is Talking About
95,000+ Hispanic-owned construction businesses generating $779 billion in annual revenue. The fastest formation rate of any demographic group. And almost no one in the mainstream business press is covering it.
What I Told NPR About the Construction Workforce Crisis (And What I Wish I Had Time to Add)
NPR covered the construction workforce shortage and quoted me extensively. Here is the full context behind my comments, and the statistics that did not make the broadcast.
Texas Is America's Construction Capital, and Hispanic Workers Built It
The 2025 Texas State of Construction report shows Hispanic workers exceeding 50% of the Texas construction workforce. Texas is the most consequential construction market in America, and it runs on Hispanic labor.
California's Housing Crisis Has a Workforce Solution Nobody Wants to Acknowledge
California needs to build millions of housing units. It has a workforce capable of doing it. The HCC California State of Construction 2025 report documents the disconnect between housing policy and labor policy.
Florida Construction Boom: Hurricane Rebuilding, Infrastructure, and the Hispanic Workforce Powering It All
Florida's construction market is one of the most active in the country, driven by population growth, hurricane recovery, and infrastructure investment. The HCC Florida 2025 report documents the Hispanic workforce at the center of it all.
What Construction Dive Got Right, and One Thing I Would Correct
Construction Dive published a piece on Hispanic workforce trends in construction. I was quoted. Here's the context behind the quotes, and a clarification on one number they had slightly wrong.
New York Construction Is Running on Hispanic Labor. The Policy Response Is Not Keeping Up.
New York's massive construction pipeline, driven by housing mandates, infrastructure, and commercial development, runs on a workforce that is substantially Hispanic. The HCC New York 2025 report documents the policy gap.
87 Cents on the Dollar: The Wage Gap in Construction and How to Close It
Hispanic construction workers earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by non-Hispanic counterparts in equivalent positions. The gap is persistent, documentable, and addressable through specific policy interventions.
Oregon Construction: A Smaller Market with Outsized Lessons for the Nation
Oregon's construction market is smaller than Texas or California, but its Hispanic workforce story reflects national patterns with surprising clarity. The HCC Oregon 2025 report highlights both challenges and models worth replicating.
The New Construction Heartland: How Hispanic Workers Are Reshaping Midwest and South Construction
Ohio, Virginia, and Tennessee construction markets each show a common pattern: rapidly growing Hispanic workforces in markets that have historically been less Hispanic-concentrated. The shift is underway.
Why I Founded the Hispanic Construction Council, and What I Got Wrong at First
The founding vision for HCC was right about the need. It was wrong about how to meet it. Here's what changed, and why data became the foundation of everything we do.
Apprenticeship Programs Are Leaving Hispanic Workers Behind. Here Is How to Fix It.
The United States has invested heavily in construction apprenticeship programs. Yet Hispanic workers, 35% of the construction workforce, are underrepresented in registered apprenticeship completions. The systems are not built for them.
From Worker to Business Owner: The Barriers Blocking Hispanic Construction Entrepreneurship
The pathway from Hispanic construction worker to business owner exists, and thousands travel it annually. But persistent barriers in bonding, licensing, and capital access make the journey harder than it needs to be.
Washington State Construction: A Pacific Northwest Market Coming to Terms with Its Hispanic Workforce
Washington state's technology-driven construction boom has created labor demand that increasingly draws on Hispanic workers. The HCC Washington 2025 report documents the workforce shift, and the policy lag.
The Data Gap Nobody Talks About: Why We Do Not Know Enough About Hispanic Construction Workers
Most data systems were not designed to capture the Hispanic construction workforce with precision. Here is what we know, what we do not know, and why HCC built its own research infrastructure.
Construction Is a Hard Job. The Retirement Gap for Hispanic Workers Makes It Harder.
Construction is a physically demanding career. Hispanic construction workers face a retirement savings gap driven by non-union employment, informal wages, and limited access to employer-sponsored benefits.
Why the Construction Industry Needed a Hispanic Voice at the Policy Table
Every other major construction constituency had institutional representation in Washington. Hispanic workers and businesses, 35% of the industry, had none. That's why HCC exists.
What the Latin Times Got Right About HCC Research, and Why This Audience Matters
The Latin Times covered HCC research on Hispanic construction workers. Reaching Hispanic media audiences is different from reaching trade press, and equally essential for HCC's mission.
What I Told Miami Public Radio About Immigration and Construction in South Florida
WLRN Miami invited me to discuss immigration policy and construction in South Florida. The region's construction market is uniquely exposed to workforce uncertainty. Here's what I said and why.
What HCC Membership Actually Gets You: Data, Network, and Advocacy
HCC membership is about three things: access to the most comprehensive Hispanic construction data in existence, a network of 100,000+ professionals, and advocacy that represents your interests in Washington.
Arizona Construction: The Border Economy and the Hispanic Workforce Building the Southwest
Arizona's construction market is shaped by its border geography, its sunbelt growth, and a Hispanic workforce that dominates construction in Phoenix and Tucson. The HCC Arizona 2025 report examines the full picture.
Get the Full Research
These articles draw from HCC's comprehensive reports on the Hispanic construction workforce. Members get full access to all datasets, state reports, and analysis.