How Advanced Analytics Are Shaping Workforce Strategies

The U.S. industrial workforce is under pressure.

With large-scale capital projects booming across sectors like data centers, semiconductors, LNG, and renewables, demand for skilled craft labor has skyrocketed while availability continues to lag.

In this episode of Navigating the Currents of Change, host Shaheen Chohan is joined by Mike Bergen, Executive Vice President, and Chris Smith, Vice President of Labor Analytics at IIR. Together, they break down what’s happening in the labor market and how companies can better anticipate workforce challenges.

Topics include:

• The impact of labor shortages and wage inflation on project schedules and costs
• How IIR’s Labor Analytics platform forecasts labor availability and wage trends
• Regional hot spots and craft-specific bottlenecks across the U.S.
• How industrial owners, contractors, and suppliers are adapting their strategies
• The connection between reshoring, mega projects, and workforce stress

Whether you’re involved in construction planning, workforce development, or strategic forecasting, this episode delivers critical insights into one of the top constraints facing capital projects in 2025.