TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 2, 2026: Simplar Foundation today announced the release of Multiskilling in the U.S. Construction Industry, Volume 1, a coordinated six-report research series examining how multiskilling is used, supported and experienced across the construction industry.
The research was conducted by a multi-institutional team of construction faculty, researchers and doctoral students representing the University of Kansas, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Arizona State University and Simplar Foundation.
Together, the six reports combine nationwide jobsite observations, controlled field trials, longitudinal project records, employer interviews and training-facility visits, a review of peer-reviewed scientific literature, and contractor safety data. Each report addresses a different question using a distinct evidence approach.
“The research team is proud to release this study, the product of a large, multi-institutional effort,” said Rebecca Kassa, Ph.D., senior researcher at Simplar Foundation. “Our goal was to provide workers, contractors, owners and policymakers with a transparent evidence base documenting the impacts of multiskilling and how workforce capability should be developed and verified, while also recommending directions for future research.”
The study defines multiskilling as a workforce strategy in which selected workers are qualified to perform selected tasks safely and competently across more than one trade, craft or skill classification. It does not mean that every worker performs every task, and it does not replace the need for specialized trade expertise. Crossing a traditional trade boundary should never lower technical, safety, quality, licensing or supervision standards.
The first four reports are available now. Reports examining closely sequenced workflows and schedule duration and labor-curve outcomes will be released later in the series.
Key findings from the initial release include:
- Nationwide field observations: Researchers completed 40 site visits on 36 projects across 24 states, observing 60 crews and collecting 11,407 work-sampling observations. Approximately 36% of observed crew time involved workers performing work outside their primary trade.
- More work time and less waiting: Under the observed multiskilled condition, the share of crew time spent directly advancing construction work was 39% higher than under the same-sequence, one-trade analytical comparison. Idle and waiting time was 68% lower.
- Greater work coverage: Limiting workers to one trade would have required approximately 45% to 72% more worker-equivalent staffing to preserve the same work sequence observed in the field. Put another way, 10 multiskilled workers provided approximately the work coverage of 14 to 17 workers limited to one trade.
- Workforce systems behind the strategy: Research involving 48 organizations, 80 interviews and seven training-facility tours documented how employers recruit, develop, assess, document, deploy and refresh workforce capability. These systems can create more ways for workers to earn, remain on projects longer, pursue advancement and gain greater control over their careers.
- Favorable but incomplete prior evidence: Of 59 peer-reviewed studies published between 1998 and mid-2026, more than 95% described multiskilling as valuable or reported potential benefits, and none concluded that it produced an overall disadvantage. However, only 24% formally tested whether their findings were statistically significant, and none directly measured performance on an active U.S. construction site.
- Strong contractor safety context: Fifteen participating contractors reported data covering approximately 33.2 million employee-hours. Their average recordable and lost-time injury rates were substantially below tailored national benchmarks, and they reported no fatalities. The report presents these results as context, not evidence that multiskilling caused better safety performance.
“Multiskilling is not a new idea. What has been missing is direct measurement on active U.S. jobsites and a comprehensive examination of the systems employers use to build and verify workforce capability,” said Brian Lines, Ph.D., P.E., principal investigator and professor at the University of Kansas. “This research brings those pieces together. The evidence supports neither universal use nor blanket restriction. It supports informed, project-specific use of verified capability.”
The findings show that the opportunity for multiskilling depends on the work. Crews with frequent task variety, closely connected activities and natural gaps may have more opportunity to use complementary capabilities. Lower opportunity may reflect the task mix and work sequence rather than a lack of worker capability.
The complete reports, study summaries and related resources are available through the Multi-Skilling Knowledge Center at simplarfoundation.org/multiskilling/.
About Simplar Foundation
Simplar Foundation advances practical, evidence-based research and education intended to improve workforce, organizational and project outcomes. The foundation works with academic and industry partners to translate rigorous research into knowledge that can be used by practitioners, decision-makers and the public. Learn more at simplarfoundation.org.