Average earnings for self-employed tradespeople rose to £950 per week during February pushing labour rates 7.1% higher than the same time last year.

Ian Anfield, Hudson Contract managing director, said: “It has been a mild start to the year and demand on sites remains high for skilled tradespeople.

“We have had a busy month for entering new contracts and we are seeing anecdotal evidence of more Europeans returning to the UK labour market.

“Similar to last month, our clients are telling us they have full order books well into 2022, but they are not seeing as many enquiries coming through the door as this time last year.’’

Earnings increased across all regions in England and Wales and reached an all-time high in the South West of £931.

Earnings increased across all trades, led by plumbers (up 16.6% at £1,115), electricians (up 16.3% at £1,145) and surfacing contractors (up 15.6% at £859).

Hudson Contract delivers accurate indications of subcontractor pay trends across the construction industry, publishing the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across 10 regions in England and Wales.

It supplies statistics to the Bank of England to keep policymakers updated with real-time insights on demand for skilled labour.