You’ve heard “when the chips are down…” — it means you’re committed to a situation (sometimes an all-in poker hand), but there are challenges and conflicts. That’s the case for Intel Corporation: More than 7,000 construction workers are needed during a construction worker shortage.
Intel is investing $20 billion to build two factories (“fabs”) on a 1,000-acre site in Licking County, Ohio. In addition to construction workers, the company hopes to create 3,000 jobs in that area.
Construction Workers Shortage Problematic
Labor leaders and state officials acknowledge there’s “not currently a pool of 7,000” extra construction workers in central Ohio. The Intel site is near Columbus, where a 28-story Hilton, a $2 billion addition to Ohio State University’s medical center, and a $365 million biomanufacturing plant are also under construction.
Plus, three or more Google and Amazon data centers, a new $200 million municipal courthouse, and over 20 solar array projects are in the works in or near Columbus. They will create additional demand for construction workers in Ohio.
Meanwhile, Yes, the Chips Are Down
Chips are used for electronics and devices like laptops and cellphones. Despite President Biden’s August 25 signature on a bill to implement CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act), Wall Street stocks took a dive, according to Construction Dive.
Construction jobsites will likely be unaffected by this recent slump in consumer demand for chips. In fact, little to no impact should be felt by the construction industry. According to many marketing professionals, nonconsumer segments should keep chip demand surging; therefore, commercial construction for semiconductor facilities should continue to be very “chipper.”
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