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WASHINGTON, D.C. — With virtually all construction costs tied to either materials or labor, President Donald Trump’s tariffs on two key building supplies could further exacerbate the construction industry’s longtime worker shortage, according to industry experts. Trump’s tariffs on imported construction materials — 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for aluminum — have enabled American steel and aluminum producers to raise prices to new benchmark levels. But there’s more at stake than short-term increases in materials costs. By forcing construction firms to allocate more operating income toward materials, the tariffs are likely to prevent firms from offering higher wages to attract more labor. Immediate labor impact A recent study from Trade Partnership Worldwide LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based economic consulting firm, estimates that the tariffs will generate an overall net loss of 146,000 jobs. The report also notes that across all impacted sectors there will be five jobs lost for every new job gained. The automobile, fabricated metals and logistics and distribution industries would be among the sectors hit. According to the study, job losses in these three fields alone would exceed 50,000 positions. The American construction industry is poised to lose about 28,000 jobs as a result of the tariffs. …