Labor
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AI is creating a surge in demand for HVAC technicians, other skilled labor: Randstad
Organizations should use flexible hiring policies to get the talent they need, the global human resources consulting company recommends.
By Joe Burns • March 30, 2026 -
Permission granted by MaintainX
MaintainX touts AI solution for preparing maintenance reports
Facilities managers and technicians can use plain-language prompts in Report Builder AI to get data on the parts of systems that are creating the most trouble, the company says.
By Joe Burns • March 25, 2026 -
Joe Burns/Facilities Dive
Building operations are increasingly strategic: NFMT East 2026
The importance of communication between FMs, vendors and stakeholders was a consistent theme throughout sessions as more organizations see building operations as value-adding.
By Joe Burns • March 20, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
Labor Department moves to loosen independent contractor regulations
The agency proposed a return to the “economic reality test” adopted during the first Trump administration.
By Caroline Colvin • Feb. 27, 2026 -
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NEMA, other groups want the US to pay companies to employ veterans as electricians
A House bill that transfers up to $500,000 to employers for hiring retired military would help ease a looming skilled-trades labor gap caused by skyrocketing energy demand, the groups say.
By Robert Freedman • Feb. 25, 2026 -
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60% of Gen Zers will pursue skilled trade work this year: survey
Fear of AI might be driving the shift. A different survey last year found fewer than 40% of Gen Zers had an interest in the trades.
By Robert Freedman • Feb. 10, 2026 -
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Against slow hiring, construction projects face hurdles: AGC
The latest outlook from the Associated General Contractors of America reveals two bright spots — data centers and power projects — amid a growing number of challenges.
By Sebastian Obando • Jan. 20, 2026 -
Permission granted by Jimmy Straley, Clark State College
Community colleges are training the next generation of workers in skilled trades
Rutgers University explored how community colleges are responding to regional workforce training demands. Clark State College and Columbus State Community College are among those partnering with local manufacturers.
By Michelle No • Dec. 18, 2025 -
Courtesy of Rubicon Contracting
Facility workers want damages after their employer was hit with false charges
Utah prosecutors dropped labor trafficking charges against Rubicon Contracting, but the company says it lost business due to reputational damage. Now company workers want the state to offset their lost income.
By Robert Freedman • Nov. 20, 2025 -
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HVAC technician sues Trane for dispatching a woman to work with him
Paul Ostapa said it’s his deeply held religious belief that he shouldn’t work with a woman unless others are at the job site along with them.
By Robert Freedman • Nov. 17, 2025 -
Permission granted by Derek Bacigal
Q&AAt a Hawai’i beach resort, even the facilities manager must surf the waves: Derek Bacigal
As director of facilities at an island getaway, Bacigal must ensure redundancy in critical systems and build his team’s expertise from within.
By Joe Burns • Nov. 10, 2025 -
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Heat pumps have bright future, expert says
Installation training remains a challenge — alongside pushback from the fossil fuel industry and old worries about cold-weather operation — but the future favors the technology, a professor says.
By Joe Burns • Nov. 3, 2025 -
Courtesy of Rubicon Contracting
Utah landscaping firm wants $1B after immigration raid
The state attorney general at the time fabricated facts to accuse Rubicon Contracting of illegal human trafficking in a malicious prosecution, the company says in a lawsuit.
By Robert Freedman • Oct. 31, 2025 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
California greenlights $25M for apprenticeship programs
Through the Employment Training Panel, the cash will fund 88 apprenticeship programs and some 22,000 workers, many in construction.
By Matthew Thibault • Oct. 28, 2025 -
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Attracting and retaining technicians: ‘It’s often not about money’
Big-picture thinking and making employees feel valued can keep facilities maintenance workers from leaving, says Bryan Decker of Compass Facilities.
By Robert Freedman • Oct. 27, 2025 -
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Employees value office time but struggle with noise, air quality: survey
Time in the office provides “social glue” and advancement opportunities, but building operators must use data to inform decision-making, XY Sense says.
By Joe Burns • Oct. 20, 2025 -
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As California’s new energy code nears, training is available to help FMs meet it
Software company IES and the U.S. Green Building Council California are offering advanced modeling and performance analysis training so building operators don’t have to fly blind.
By Joe Burns • Oct. 9, 2025 -
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Facilities management conferences of note in 2026
This year’s facilities management conferences will cover best practices for managing building systems, leveraging technology, recruiting and retaining talent and navigating market conditions.
By Joe Burns • Updated Jan. 29, 2026 -
Caroline Colvin/Facilities Dive
DOL says it’s thinking about overtime as it provides timelines for regulations
The agency published its full Spring 2025 regulatory agenda Thursday, nearly a month after apparently removing an earlier version from a White House website.
By Ryan Golden • Sept. 5, 2025 -
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Skilled trades initiatives expand as demand for workers is projected to grow
Demand for HVAC, electrical and plumbing workers is expected to grow at a rate much faster than average, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.
By Joe Burns • Sept. 3, 2025 -
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US companies collaborate to grow skilled trades workforce
The Business Roundtable sees opportunities to solve the labor gap on a large scale.
By Benton Graham • Aug. 18, 2025 -
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Labor Department to provide $30M in training grants for skilled trades
Grants of up to $8 million will be awarded to state workforce agencies to create training funds that encourage employers to develop and expand programs.
By Ginger Christ • Aug. 13, 2025 -
Courtesy of Commonwealth Corporation
Massachusetts awards skilled trades grants, approves private apprenticeship program
The approval of C&W Services’ apprenticeship program offers the facility service firm “a competitive advantage in a tight labor market,” an executive said.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 12, 2025 -
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September offers window for cheaper, faster HVAC work
Between August and October, when the need for heating and cooling overlap, HVAC service calls hit a lull, meaning less demand and cheaper prices for repairs or maintenance, Samsara says.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 8, 2025 -
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Employers’ emphasis on skilled trades lost on Gen Z: Harris poll
Young workers don’t realize going into the trades can offer good pay more quickly than pursuing a college-based career, the report says.
By Robert Freedman • July 31, 2025
