Assessing and Identifying On-Site Labor Cost Challenges and Necessary Control Measures in Iraqi Construction Projects: A Case Study Approach

This study aims to investigate the onsite labor cost challenges and determine the requisite control measures for managing these issues in the context of Iraqi construction projects, using a case study approach. One of the considerable problems for any construction project is how to control the Labor costs. Construction projects are almost labor intensive and labor costs account for 30–50% of total project costs. So, in construction sector, Labor costs have a significant impact on increasing or decreasing profits for construction projects. Construction management may try to achieve controlling site labor costs by studying and analyzing all labor cost elements to get the possible cost of using labor on site. The current study finds the site cost issues due to the Labor problems caused during the construction projects with their suggested solutions, it has been divided into three parts, the first part deals with reviewing the literature of the research, and through the second part, regarding questioning thirty construction projects working in Iraqi construction sector (as a case study). And the third part of the research including analyzing the results of the questionnaire to diagnose the affecting factors (problems) on site labor costs and the percentages of solved and unsolved problems in these selected projects according to their significant effectiveness on site costs, Also, the research has reviewed, in detail, the possible solutions as a part of an integrated site management system for Labor cost problem (diagnosing and solving). This system can be used as a guide for the on-site management to overcome these problems, and to prevent any extra costs which might arise due to it.