#wleder

npr business news starts with an oil boom and a labor shortage. as we reported on this program, the new method of drilling have created a huge boost to the domestic oil and gas production. in energy-producing state like texas, that has led to a big rise in commercial construction. so big that the builder are finding it hard to get skilled labor they need to keep up the demand. from houston public media and ___ report. chevron phillips chemical is building a plant in baytown, texas, just outside of houston, as well as another 80 miles southwest in old ocean. The company estimated its contractors would need to hire 10,000 construction workers to complete the plant on schedule in 2017. peter cella is chevron phillip's president and ceo. the single biggest constraint is the shortage of the skilled labors. we need welders, pipefiliters, rigger, electricians to help construct all these assets that have been announced by my company and others. the shortage of skilled workers is slowing construction of everything from factories to office buildings and driving up costs in the process. the housing crash and the great recession that followed costs 1.3 million such workers their job. and fewer than half a million have returned. ken simonson is an chief economist from associated general contractors of america. it's getting really hard for contractors to find experienced workers because so many of the ones who had been laid off have now moved on to other industries or have retired. one of the main industries that those workers flocked into in taxes is oil and gas sectors. building contractors are really having a hard time luring them back.