Talk about a construction labor shortage in Texas and it can sound as though everyone is looking for the same workers.
They aren’t.
For Texas infrastructure contractors, the challenge is finding people with the skills to work on highways, bridges, utilities, drainage systems, and other heavy civil projects. And many of those skills are already in high demand.
So, what does the skilled labor shortage in Texas look like when you leave housing and commercial construction out of the picture?
Which Trades Are Most Affected by the Skilled Labor Shortage in Texas?
The list quickly becomes familiar to anyone working in infrastructure.
Heavy equipment operators are needed to run excavators, graders, cranes, and other machinery.
Concrete workers and cement masons are essential for highways, bridges, and retaining structures. You need pipelayers, pipefitters, and welders across utility, water, and industrial projects, plus ironworkers and specialist electricians to fill other critical roles.
Finding them isn’t always easy.
The Associated General Contractors of America’s 2025 workforce survey found significant recruitment difficulties among highway contractors with openings.
Seventy-nine percent reported difficulty filling heavy-equipment operator positions, 79% concrete worker positions, and 74% pipefitter/welder positions.
Pipelayers, ironworkers, surveyors, traffic-control personnel, and truck drivers were also among the difficult positions to fill.
That makes this a more specific problem than simply needing “more construction workers.”
Why Is Competition for Skilled Labor Increasing in Texas?
Texas has a lot of construction competing for a limited pool of people.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported that non-building construction in Texas rose 16.8% in 2025, driven by projects including water infrastructure, power plants, gas, and communications work. At the same time, data-center construction contracts in the state reached $10.7 billion.
Those markets can overlap when it comes to the people they need.
In July 2026, the Dallas Fed reported competition for skilled labor from power generation and AI industries, while data-center developers were having difficulty finding skilled workers including electricians and technicians.
So, even strong construction employment numbers don’t necessarily mean the people an infrastructure contractor needs are readily available.
In fact, Governor Abbot recently highlighted to the Texas Jobs Council that Texas needs a larger pipeline (sorry for the pun!) of skilled employees to meet demand.
In the meantime, you can take steps to control other aspects of your project and help compensate the skilled labor shortage where it affects you.
What Can Infrastructure Contractors Control When Skilled Labor Is Scarce?
You can’t create an experienced equipment operator or pipefitter overnight! Nor can you control how aggressively another sector competes for skilled workers.
What you can do is plan around the workforce you have and look carefully at the other resources your project depends on. This isn’t the time to making assumptions.
That means knowing where capacity is available, where a shortage could affect your schedule, and which contractors and suppliers have the resources to meet changing project demands.
At Cowboy Trucking, we’ve built our family business around helping DFW infrastructure contractors keep one of those variables under control, with dependable hauling capacity when and where their projects need it.
We have a large supply of trucks and personnel ready all year to deliver for you day and night. In other words, we get the job done. Call us to discuss your specific needs.