Simplar Foundation study finds multiskilled U.S. construction crews cut idle time by 68% and post safety rates 57% below industry average

The largest national dataset ever assembled on multiskilled construction labor landed on 2 September 2026, and its headline numbers are hard to ignore. Crews where workers held credentials across multiple trades increased the share of time spent directly advancing construction work by 39%, cut idle time during active periods by roughly 68%, and posted a total recordable incident rate about 57% below the industry benchmark. The study, Multiskilling in the U.S. Construction Industry, was released by the Simplar Foundation in collaboration with Associated Builders and Contractors and university researchers across the United States.^[1]

What the research measured

Researchers observed 644 workers across 60 multiskilled crews during 40 site visits covering 36 projects in 24 states. The dataset drew on more than 11,400 work-sampling observations and was produced in partnership with faculty from Arizona State University, the University of Kansas, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte - making it the first field study of its kind at national scale.

Simplar defines multiskilling as keeping workers grounded in a primary craft while training and qualifying them for selected work in an adjacent trade or skill classification. The strategy relies on verified credentials rather than informal task-switching. The typical observed worker used nearly three distinct skill classifications in a single day; some used as many as six.^[1] Workers spent an average of 36% of observed crew time performing tasks outside their primary trade.

The productivity gains were largest where crews had frequent opportunities to cross trade lines - pipefitting and pipe welding were cited as a prime example - and smaller on more continuous, single-trade scopes.

Why the numbers matter now

ABC projects the U.S. construction industry will need to attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 alone just to keep labor supply and demand in balance. A significant share of that demand comes from retirements rather than project growth, creating what workforce analysts describe as an experience cliff as senior craft professionals leave the industry.

Against that backdrop, the study's findings carry direct commercial weight:

• Multiskilled crews cover substantially more project work without adding headcount.
• Faster handoff-heavy scopes reduce schedule duration and the associated financing and overhead costs - a direct benefit to project owners and public-sector clients.
• The lower incident rate translates to reduced workers' compensation exposure and fewer schedule disruptions from injuries.
• Workers themselves gain broader credentials, higher earning potential, and greater job mobility.^[1]

ABC president and CEO Michael Bellaman said the association intends to use the findings to challenge policies it believes restrict multiskilling, noting that the industry previously had largely anecdotal evidence for its position.

Policy and industry response

The study arrives as ABC and its 24,000 member firms face a construction pipeline that includes data centers, energy infrastructure, and federally funded transportation work - all of which are schedule-sensitive and competing for the same constrained labor pool. Bellaman framed multiskilling not as a replacement for specialization but as a complement to it, delivering the most value on handoff-heavy scopes where trade boundaries create idle time.

The full data series is available at simplarfoundation.org/multiskilling. ABC's Q&A on the findings is at abc.org/multiskilling. Whether the research prompts changes to labor classification rules or collective bargaining agreements - the policy terrain where multiskilling restrictions most often appear - will be the next test of how far the evidence can travel.