WFB Briefs: NAFCD’s Labor Shortage Report; Housing Health Report; AFA Hosts Future Connections Event

The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) released a report on the ongoing labor shortage in the industry, “Confronting the Labor Shortage: Strategies and Solutions for Distributors Facing a Growing Skills Gap.” The report, available only to NAFCD members, surveyed 190 distributors and found that 94% are struggling to find workers. The survey also found that distributors willing to hire based on “potential rather than actual experience” are seeing more success.

BuildFax’s August Housing Health Report found that housing maintenance activity increased 17.84% during the month due to recent hurricanes. The full report can be found here.

The American Floorcovering Alliance (AFA) hosted its first Future Connections event during the second day of its 2019 FloorTek Expo. The networking event drew the HR departments of Engineered Floors, Apache Mills, Qualified Staffing, American Carpet Wholesalers and Express Employment, as well as students from several colleges and universities. The event was strictly networking, but AFA plans to include more immersive and educational offerings in the future.