The industry hit hardest by the Great Recession and the end of Southern Utah’s housing boom — experts estimate 50 percent of area contractors left the area or went out of business — is finally seeing some recovery, and construction workers are getting back to work, with year-over-year job growth for the first time since the recession.
“I think we’re just at that breaking point where people are going to start hiring more,” said Troy Ence, co-owner of Ence Homes in St. George, where business is up by about 10 percent this year.
Ence said the company has been encouraged by gains the past several months, adding that a busy July — a month usually slower because of the heat — included 23 sales. It’s to the point where some contractors are struggling to find skilled laborers because so many left or found other employment, he said. TheSpectrum
