Research Report · Report 1 in Volume 1 · 2026
This report measures how multiskilling affects crew-level work-time utilization and equivalent staffing requirements. It is grounded in the most comprehensive field-collected dataset of multiskilling assembled to date: 11,407 structured work-sampling observations of 644 workers in 60 multiskilled crews, collected across 40 site visits to active U.S. construction projects in 24 states.
The Nationwide Dataset at a Glance
In this report, multiskilling refers to a labor strategy in which workers and crews are qualified to safely and competently perform selected work activities across more than one trade, craft, or skill classification. Trained researchers used structured work sampling to document multiskilling in real time as it occurred during normal operations on active U.S. construction projects.
Cross-tasking was a regular part of normal operations: on average it accounted for 36% of observed crew work time (crew range 2% to 96%), spanning 128 unique trade combinations, with workers averaging 2.7 skill classifications per worker and up to 6 in a single day.
What the report measures:
Cross-tasking averaged 36% of observed crew work time (crew range 2% to 96%), across 128 unique trade combinations and 26 unique primary trades — e.g., ironworkers assisting with concrete formwork.
Compared with the same-sequence single-skilled comparison, observed multiskilled crews achieved a 39% higher share of time on direct work.
Idle time in the observed multiskilled crews was 68% lower than the same-sequence single-skilled comparison.
Multiskilled crews accomplished the same work scope with an equivalent staffing reduction of 31–42% at the crew level.
All effects statistically significant beyond the 99% confidence level (p < 0.001). Results are at the crew level and do not represent project-wide impacts.
Recommended Citation
Lines, B., Ogundare, I., Kassa, R., Smithwick, J., & Sullivan, K. (2026). Work-Time Utilization and Staffing Level Impacts in Construction Crews. Multiskilling in the U.S. Construction Industry. Report 1 of 6 in Volume 1. Simplar Foundation. https://doi.org/10.22361/b7k6r4jkyb
The report may be shared and cited in its complete, unmodified form — see the Copyright and Use section inside the report for full permissions.
