1,700 new construction jobs were added in southwest Florida last month, up nearly 8 percent from the same time last year…but it still isn’t enough. Many major projects across the area have been put on hold or delayed because of the lack of manpower. Mary Dougherty-Slapp, the executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, told the Herald-Tribune the lack of labor is driving up production times and costs for both builders and their customers. As for getting some new blood in the industry, she said the new Suncoast Technical campus in North Port will help train more students to fill job openings.
