Full disclosure: When I married my husband, he was a carpenter, so I have a soft spot for those in the trade. I’ve seen how hard the work is on a body — carrying lumber and tools up and down ladders. Repeatedly bending over to nail something down or pick something up. It’s not unusual for carpenters to have bad backs and knees, not to mention their hearing from being around the loud construction noises for years. I’ve also seen how much demand there is for carpenters. Who is it that’s called to make improvements to retail spaces when there’s a new occupant? Who builds the frames of new commercial buildings or decks on houses, and so very much more? The answer: carpenters. So it’s disheartening to read that there is a nationwide shortage of carpenters. In March, according to an article by Mart Dent for the Hustle, there were 400,000 unfilled carpenter jobs. “Builders have more trouble finding carpenters than roofers, electricians, or just about anything else,” writes Dent. The shortages have led to construction delays and higher expenses for builders. Pay is among the reasons why more people aren’t taking up the trade. An analysis of national labor statistics by the National Home Builders Association showed that carpenters, with median annual earnings at $48,000, ranked last in median pay out of 19 of the most common trades. A carpenter Dent talked with said that jobs carpenters work on typically take longer to complete than those done by plumbers and electricians, making it difficult to charge higher fees for longer periods of time. “Coupled with the Great Recession-spurred exit of carpenters from the workforce, the salary gap counts as an economic reason for America’s carpenter shortage,” writes Dent.