2021年经济学人 劳动力短缺--急需建造工人(2)（在线收听）

Long-standing factors are also contributing to the construction labour shortages.

长期存在的一些因素也导致了建筑工人短缺。

Homebuilders have struggled to maintain a consistent labour force since the global financial crisis of 2007-09.

自2007年至2009年的全球金融危机以来，住房建筑商一直难以维持稳定的劳动力队伍。

That in part reflects deeper changes to immigration laws, which have stemmed a once-steady stream of labour.

这在一定程度上反映了移民法的深层次变化，这些变化妨碍了一度稳定的劳动力流动。

Inflows of foreign workers into America, for instance, have been in decline since the introduction of anti-immigration policies by President Donald Trump.

例如，自唐纳德·特朗普总统推出反移民政策以来，流入美国的外国工人数量一直在下降。

Just over 44,000 foreign-born workers entered the construction industry in 2017, a sharp drop compared with nearer 70,000 in the previous year.

2017年，有4.4万多名外国出生的工人进入建筑行业，与前一年近7万名相比大幅下降。

Similarly, the Office for National Statistics reckons that Britain has lost 42% of its European construction workers since its vote to leave the European Union, which signalled an end to the free movement of migrants from the EU into the country.

同样，英国国家统计局估计，自公投脱欧以来，英国流失了42%的欧洲建筑工人，脱欧意味着欧盟移民无法再自由进入英国。

Skills shortages are also compounded by an ageing workforce.

劳动力老龄化也加剧了技能短缺。

Around 41% of construction workers in America are expected to retire within the next decade.

美国约41%的建筑工人预计将在未来10年内退休。

One in five British workers is over the age of 55.

五分之一的英国工人年龄在55岁以上。

Recruiters seeking talent, meanwhile, find slim pickings.

与此同时，寻找人才的招聘人员发现，他们的选择余地很小。

High-school graduates of all income backgrounds avoid construction jobs, perceiving them to be dirty, dangerous and difficult.

所有收入背景的高中毕业生都不愿从事建筑工作，他们认为这些工作肮脏、危险，还很难。

Less than one in ten young people in Britain would consider a career in construction, shunning even white-collar jobs in areas such as engineering, quantity surveying and town planning.

在英国，只有不到十分之一的年轻人会考虑从事建筑行业，甚至连工程、工料测量和城市规划等白领工作都不愿做。

Automation might have been one way to avert shortages of workers.

自动化可能是解决工人短缺的方法之一。

But the industry has been slow to embrace it.

但该行业对自动化的接受速度比较缓慢。

Around half of construction businesses use robots, compared with 84% of automotive firms and 79% of manufacturing companies.

约有一半的建筑企业使用了机器人，相比之下，有高达84%的汽车企业和79%的制造企业在使用机器人。

Meanwhile, the shortages seem set only to intensify.

与此同时，工人供应短缺似乎只会加剧。

Demand for workers looks likely to rise further, as governments promise both to build more houses and to help prepare the existing stock for a changing climate.

目前，政府承诺建造更多房屋，并帮助现有房屋为气候变化做好准备，建筑业对工人的需求可能会进一步上升。

Britain already requires 217,000 extra workers by 2025 to meet the government’s target of 300,000 new homes per year.

英国已经要求在2025年前增加21.7万名工人，以达到政府每年新建30万套住房的目标。

Even more labour will be needed to retrofit 29m existing homes to meet net-zero carbon targets by 2050.

为了在2050年实现净零碳目标，还需要更多的劳动力来改造2900万套现有房屋。

Governments’ plans to spend on infrastructure in America and Europe could suck in workers and leave fewer to build houses.

美国和欧洲政府的基础设施投资计划可能会吸引工人，导致更少的人愿意留下来去建造房屋。

Job vacancies, construction delays, bosses’ headaches—all may go through the roof.

职位空缺、施工延误、老板们的头痛——所有这些都可能冲破顶峰。