Skills shortages intensify with no signs of slowing

Grant Prior 10 years ago
Share

Job vacancies for construction staff continued to rise strongly at the start of the third quarter.

The latest Report on Jobs, published by KPMG and the REC showed construction in joint-first place out of nine industries in the table of demand for permanent staff – and top in the rankings for temp staff.

At 68.3 in July, the index measuring demand for permanent construction employees was up from 58.6 in June.

The equivalent index for temporary/contract construction workers came in at 69.6, up from 61.0 in June and indicative of a marked and accelerated rate of growth.

Richard Threlfall, Head of Infrastructure, Building and Construction at KPMG, said: “It is clear we are in the grip of an industry wide skills shortage, which shows no signs of abating.

“Businesses are struggling to find the talent they need and this will have long term implications for their growth plans and potentially impact the wider performance of the UK’s economy.

“In July over two fifths of recruiters reported a fall in the number of people looking for work, the steepest decline seen in eight months.

“The construction industry in particular is struggling to keep pace with demand, with businesses heavily recruiting both permanent and temporary workers.

“This is driving significant pay growth in the sector of almost 5%, even outstripping Britain’s surging services industry which in comparison saw pay increases of just over 3%.

“The risk is that a shortage of skilled labour in this sector could impede Britain’s major building projects and put the brakes on the country’s booming real estate market.

“The likelihood is we will see no immediate improvement to this situation. We are already seeing hints of a summer slowdown, as both businesses and candidates put their jobs plans on hold and take holiday over August.”

For the latest construction jobs and to promote you current vacancies visit our Jobs Spy pages here

Latest news

Kier wins first phase of £700m Warwick Uni campus build

Firm to start work on science and engineering precinct last this year
9 hours ago

Torsion and Khalbros to build new Leeds £1bn neighbourhood

Eastgate Quarter site acquired from Hammerson
10 hours ago

JCB to double size of US factory in wake of Trump tariffs

$500m Texas factory under construction to expand to 1m sq ft
10 hours ago

Green light for £2.4bn Luton Airport expansion

Government go-ahead to transform airport
11 hours ago

Diversification pays off for concrete frame specialist Statom

Strong results as £180m turnover firm expands into infrastructure sector
12 hours ago

Cardo in talks to buy Breyer roofing arm

More than 100 jobs could be saved at Breyer Roofing
18 hours ago

Quartet win £750m Wales & Western railway deal

Network Rail confirms partners for Reactive and Minor Works framework
17 hours ago

Plans in for £350m London Bridge life sciences hub

Snowsfields Quarter will consist of three buildings containing labs
18 hours ago

Surging labour costs push tender price forecast up

Pick-up in tender prices despite weak growth
18 hours ago

Permasteelisa wins cladding deal on Multiplex city tower

Facade specialist wins work on Fenchurch Street ‘hanging gardens’ tower
18 hours ago

Wates wins fit-out for Manchester First Street Hub

Smartspace arm secures another Government hub deal
2 days ago

Peel Ports reveals winners for £750m framework

18 firms win places on deal: Full list
2 days ago

Big trade names dropped in M Group rebrand

Acquisitive group formed from Morrison Utility services in 2016
2 days ago

Breyer Group files administration notice

Staff hope rival firm could buy assets and save jobs
2 days ago

Former Severfield director takes helm at Embrace Steel

New CEO Martin Kelly aims to step up expansion of steelwork contractor
2 days ago

£302m upgrade funding awarded to FE colleges – list

Cash shared out between England’s 179 college groups
2 days ago

FK Facades thrives but construction arm hit by ISG row

Dispute with failed contractor costs specialist £5.5m
2 days ago

Galliford Try gets go-ahead for Milton Keynes PRS tower

33-storey tower needs gateway 2 approval before work can start
3 days ago

Small house builders get £150m funding for green homes

Developers will have to meet-up to ten new criteria to benefit from interest rate discounts
2 days ago

Lendlease Construction renamed Bovis

US private equity firm completes £35m purchase of UK contracting business and rebrands
3 days ago

Breyer Group battles for survival as rivals circle

Housing maintenance firm fights three winding up petitions in a month
3 days ago

Careys facing £2.4m claim by developer over demolition cartel

Giant Hong Kong developer claims it was overcharged on Lots Road Power Station job
3 days ago

Multiplex profit drops a third as revenue rises to £780m

Spate of new orders sets contractor up for three years of work
3 days ago

Galliford Try and Breheny land latest Sizewell C road deals

More infrastructure deals for new nuclear power station
3 days ago

Worker trapped in collapsed septic tank pit

Contractor and director fined after worker suffers multiple fractures
3 days ago

Homes England buys stalled Broad Marsh site

Demolition to finally be completed as developer hunt begins
3 days ago

Vistry go-ahead for 353 homes at Rochester Riverside

Work to start on next phase of Kent town regeneration at end of this year
4 days ago

M&E firm J S Wright collapsed owing £19m

Trade creditors hit for £11.4m by employee-owned Midlands firm
4 days ago

Right to work checks to be extended to self-employed

Government plans crackdown on illegal working and rogue employers
4 days ago

Midlands developer turns to London with £1bn resi schemes trio

SevenCapital plans 1,000 flats in Kensington, Islington and the Isle of Dogs projects
4 days ago

Contractor services