Over the last few years, we’ve seen demand for skilled tradespeople skyrocket due to a major construction labour shortage right across the industry.
In June, as the economy started to get moving again, construction activity actually hit a 24-year high, with both domestic and commercial work that had previously been put on hold contributing significantly to that massive rise.
The recent Stamp Duty holiday also led to a wave of activity in the housing market, and an influx of new homeowners drove up demand for tradespeople specialising in home improvement.
It’s a similar landscape in the US too, over in the States carpenters in particular saw requests for their services surge by 360% from January to August 2021. A similar trend applied right across the board in terms of trade professions, with electricians jumping by 244%, skilled construction workers 240% and plumbers 104%.
UK construction labour shortage continues
Now, the latest data from the Office of National Statistics details a record number of job vacancies as the industry faces the sizable task of meeting such massive demand.
In the three months before the end of August, unfilled positions rose to a level not seen in the last two decades. Throughout that period, 37,000 vacancies were registered, which surpassed the 35,000 which had been reported in the previous three months leading up to the end of June.
Those numbers continued to rise in the three rolling months from July to September, with a staggering 43,000 vacancies being posted—nearly twice the amount for the same period just one year ago.
That translates to around 2.9 vacancies for every 100 jobs within the industry. To offer some perspective, for the six years leading up to the pandemic, the number of construction vacancies in the UK had mostly stayed between 20,000 and 30,000.
Naturally, all of the above has had a major effect on average earnings, with construction ranking the second highest all-industry wage inflation at a 9.7% increase, just behind financial services at 11%.
A combination of labour demand and supply shortages, both of which have been amplified by Brexit, have led to the construction industry slowing following that early summer boom—though this has only added to the fierce competition between firms to attract qualified tradespeople.
An increase in women entering the construction industry
Another interesting development has been an increase in women entering the construction industry. According to Direct Line, in 2009 there were only 15,000 women working across trades, compared to 33,000 in 2019—a 120% increase.
Another recent study from Powered Now, found that not only did 21% of women in the UK consider a career in the trades during the first year of the pandemic, but also that 15% of women who were already working within the industry saw record highs in demand during that time.
Skilled tradespeople are in an incredibly strong position when it comes to seeking employment
All signs point to a continued, desperate requirement for skilled tradespeople across all sectors, which in turn means those with the necessary qualifications are in an incredibly strong position when it comes to seeking employment.
If you’re ready to begin your journey towards a career in construction, or just need a bit of advice on which trade could be right for you, we’d be happy to chat. Give us a call on 01322 280 202, request a brochure or pop into our training centre.