
CBRE: Labor a Chief Concern for Warehouse Owners, Operators
The rapid growth of e-commerce is forecast to create demand for another 452,000 warehouse and distribution workers in the U.S. this year and next, signaling an acceleration of job growth in the already labor-strapped industry, according to a new report from CBRE. Retailers, delivery companies and third-party logistics firms can react to the labor crunch in any or all of three ways, according to CBRE: recruiting more workers from other industries; investing in automation to enhance labor efficiency; and expanding into markets with ready and available workforces.
CBRE’s David Egan says, “Increasingly, development of e-commerce warehouses is contingent not only on close proximity to large customer populations but also on finding increasingly scarce labor. Warehouse users will want to ensure that access to qualified labor is a priority in their considerations for expansion. Several markets, especially those with strong population growth, offer ideal conditions for staffing up distribution and fulfillment centers.”
CBRE analysis identified multiple U.S. markets that offer advantageous combinations of availability, quality and cost of labor for warehouses and distribution. Those are led by Memphis, Louisville, California’s Inland Empire, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville and Dallas-Fort Worth, among others.
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser