Also in the NYC area. There seems to be a major shortage of blue collar labor: contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc. the cost of home renovations is truly staggering due to this lack of supply.
They can’t find unskilled/semiskilled labor willing show up to a job site every day for $25/hr cash. Even 10 years ago this wasn’t a problem. The issue is that nobody wants to offer market-clearing wages and benefits because it cuts into the owners’ distribution.