Texas Is Building, But Who Is Going to Do the Work?

Drive around almost any major Texas metro and one thing is hard to miss: Texas is building.

New developments, industrial facilities, infrastructure projects, energy investments, manufacturing operations, warehouses, housing, and increasingly, massive data centers are reshaping parts of the state.

Texas added 165,600 jobs between July 2025 and July 2026, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Construction alone accounted for approximately 921,700 Texas jobs in July, an increase of 17,500 from the previous year.

Growth is good news for Texas businesses.

But it raises an increasingly important question:

Who is going to do all of this work?

Texas Has Projects. It Needs People.

The challenge isn't simply creating jobs. Employers need enough qualified people with the right skills to fill them.

That is becoming particularly noticeable in construction and the skilled trades.

A September 2026 workforce survey from the Associated General Contractors of America and the National Center for Construction Education and Research found continued difficulty finding qualified construction workers. Half of surveyed contractors said available candidates lacked the skills, licenses, or certifications needed for the industry.

Texas employers are feeling that pressure.

Electricians and welders are among the skilled workers Texas construction companies are struggling to find, while major projects compete for a limited pool of experienced talent.

And one rapidly expanding industry is adding another layer of competition.

The AI Boom Has a Very Physical Workforce Behind It

Artificial intelligence might live on our computers and phones, but the infrastructure behind it is anything but virtual.

Data centers need to be built, powered, cooled, maintained, secured, and operated.

Texas has become a major destination for that investment. A Texas Tribune analysis identified at least 248 data center projects planned across the state as of June 2026.

Those projects create demand well beyond traditional technology positions.

They require electricians, HVAC technicians, equipment operators, construction workers, maintenance professionals, logistics workers, engineers, project managers, administrative support, and many other roles.

That demand is beginning to ripple into other industries.

Among construction firms working on data centers surveyed nationally by AGC and NCCER, 58% said those projects had increased competition for skilled workers, while 49% reported increased wage pressure.

In Texas, homebuilders have reported competing with data center projects for electricians, illustrating what happens when several growing industries need the same specialized workforce at once.

The irony of the AI boom may be that one of its biggest constraints isn't technology.

It's people.

The Competition for Talent Doesn't Stop at the Jobsite

It's easy to look at workforce shortages as primarily a skilled trades issue.

But rapid business expansion creates hiring needs throughout an organization.

A growing operation may also need:

• Customer service and account support

• Accounting and finance professionals

• Procurement and purchasing employees

• Payroll and human resources support

• Administrative professionals

• Operations employees

• Sales and business development professionals

• Project coordinators and managers

When companies expand, the workforce surrounding the project has to expand with it.

That means businesses may find themselves competing for talent even when they aren't hiring electricians, welders, or construction workers.

Houston offers a good example. The region added approximately 44,700 jobs during the 12 months ending in August 2026, with construction and administrative support accounting for more than half of the increase, according to reporting on Greater Houston Partnership data.

For employers, workforce availability increasingly needs to be part of the growth conversation, not something addressed after a project has already been approved.

The Old Hiring Playbook May Not Be Enough

When talent is plentiful, employers can afford to be extremely specific.

Five years of experience. Exact industry background. Experience with one particular system. A long list of preferred qualifications.

When multiple employers are competing for the same limited talent pool, that strategy becomes harder to sustain.

Businesses may need to separate qualifications into two categories:

What does this person absolutely need on Day One?

And:

What could we realistically teach them?

That distinction matters.

An experienced candidate from an adjacent industry may have transferable skills. A junior employee may need additional training but could become a valuable long term contributor. A temporary or contract employee may provide immediate support while a permanent search continues.

The goal isn't to lower standards.

It's to make sure unnecessary requirements aren't eliminating people who could successfully perform the job.

Training Is Becoming a Business Strategy

Texas' workforce challenge isn't going unnoticed.

The Texas Workforce Commission projects construction employment to grow by approximately 82,000 jobs between 2022 and 2032, with specialty trade contractors representing the largest portion of that projected increase.

Government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses are increasingly investing in ways to build that workforce. In June 2026, Texas announced new workforce development directives focused on preparing more Texans for high demand occupations and expanding pathways into skilled careers.

Private investment is happening as well. Earlier this year, BlackRock committed $30 million toward programs designed to prepare more than 12,000 Texas workers for electrical careers as data-center construction increases demand.

For individual employers, the takeaway is important:

Finding experienced employees can't be the only workforce strategy. Developing them has to be part of it, too.

Businesses Should Be Thinking About Their Workforce Before They Need It

One of the easiest hiring mistakes to make during a period of growth is waiting until the need becomes urgent.

A new contract is awarded.

A project gets approved.

A department expands.

Someone resigns.

Suddenly, the instruction is: We need someone yesterday.

But if certain skills are already difficult to find, urgency doesn't create more candidates.

Businesses preparing for growth should be asking workforce questions alongside their financial and operational ones.

Where will we need additional people?

Which positions will be hardest to fill?

Which employees could be trained for larger responsibilities?

Where do we have only one person who knows a critical process?

Which positions could be filled with transferable skills rather than exact industry experience?

And where could temporary or contract staffing help bridge a gap?

Those conversations are easier to have six months before a project starts than six days before someone needs to be sitting at a desk or standing on a jobsite.

Building Texas Means Building Its Workforce

Texas' growth story isn't just about buildings, infrastructure, technology, or investment.

It's ultimately about people.

Every new facility needs someone to build it. Every growing company needs people to operate it. Every expanding department needs employees who can keep the business moving.

And as companies compete for many of the same skills, the organizations that plan ahead, develop talent, consider transferable experience, and remain flexible in how they build their teams may be better positioned to handle that growth.

Because Texas can keep announcing projects.

But at some point, somebody has to do the work.

Is your workforce ready for what's next?

Riverway Business Services partners with Houston area and Texas employers to help identify the talent they need for today's operations and tomorrow's growth.

713-664-5900
contact@riverway.jobs
www.riverway.jobs