 Survey of Code Professionals Predicts Substantial Retirement Exodus
Highlights Opportunities to Reach New Recruits
A recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences on behalf of the International Code Council reveals information that if not addressed in the coming years, may have an impact on the public safety of thousands of communities in the United States. The survey, which consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions, went out nationwide to building code compliance professionals at the federal, regional, state and local levels this spring. A total of 3,850 code professionals responded, answering a range of questions, from salary and job responsibilities to educational background and retirement plans. The resulting data reveals some key demographic information about the current workforce; forecasts future workforce needs; and highlights untapped avenues for reaching new recruits.
Just as baby boomers are having an impact across other industries, code officials are aging and making plans for retirement in significant numbers. Nearly 85 percent of respondents are over the age of 45. More importantly, over 80 percent of respondents expect to retire within the next 15 years, and more than 30 percent plan to do so within five years. Such a massive exodus of public safety professionals could have a serious impact on jurisdictions—particularly those with smaller departments—since more than half of the respondents work in departments of nine or fewer employees. |
