Blog / Industry Insights
William Charlesworth-Jones 10 min read The UK construction industry needs 293,000 extra workers by 2029. That’s nearly 48,000 new recruits every single year. If you’re already struggling to find decent trades, it’s about to get harder. Here’s what the numbers actually say and what you can do about it.
According to the latest CITB Construction Workforce Outlook, the UK construction workforce needs to grow to around 2.75 million by 2029. We’re not there yet. Not even close.
The government’s response? A plan to recruit and train 60,000 construction workers by 2029. That sounds impressive until you realise it’s less than 25% of what’s actually needed. The gap between what we need and what we’re getting is enormous.
Not all trades are equally affected. Some are in critical shortage, and if you’re running projects that need these skills, you’ll already know the pain.
| Trade | Estimated Vacancies | Key Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers & Heating Engineers | 59,000 | Heat pump installations, decarbonisation |
| General Builders | 41,500 | Housing targets, refurbishment work |
| Electricians | 9,365 | EV chargers, renewable technology |
| Carpenters | 4,791 | First fix, second fix, MMC |
| Joiners | 3,865 | Commercial fit-out, manufacturing |
The plumbing and heating shortage is particularly acute. With the government pushing heat pump installations and decarbonisation targets, demand for these skills is growing faster than the workforce can keep up.
The skills shortage isn’t new, but several factors have made it significantly worse in recent years.
Over a third of construction workers are aged 50 or above. By 2035, many of these experienced tradespeople will retire, taking decades of knowledge with them. Meanwhile, only 5% of students are considering careers in construction.
The numbers are stark: EU construction workers in London dropped from 42% to just 8% between 2018 and 2021. Over 200,000 EU workers have left UK construction since 2019. Whatever your view on Brexit, the labour impact on construction is undeniable.
Completed construction apprenticeships have fallen by around 11% annually since 2017/18. Worse still, fewer than 50% of apprentices actually complete their training. We’re not just failing to attract new workers. We’re failing to retain the ones who start.
Construction still suffers from an image problem. Many young people see it as physically demanding, poorly paid, and lacking career progression. The reality can be different, but perception matters when people are choosing careers.
If you’re managing construction projects, the skills shortage affects you in three main ways:
Higher Costs. Scarcity drives up wages. Skilled trades can command premium rates, and you’ll pay them or lose them to competitors.
Longer Timelines. When you can’t get the trades you need when you need them, programmes slip. Delays cost money.
Quality Pressure. Desperation can lead to hiring less experienced workers. Snagging lists get longer. Rework increases.
You can’t fix the national skills shortage on your own, but you can adapt your business to survive and thrive despite it.
In a candidate-driven market, speed wins. The best trades get snapped up quickly. If your hiring process takes weeks, you’ll lose out to competitors who move in days.
Recruiting is expensive. Keeping your existing workforce is cheaper and more effective. Focus on what actually matters to workers:
Career development. Show clear progression paths. Construction careers aren’t dead-ends, but you need to prove it.
Work-life balance. Younger workers especially value this. Flexible arrangements where possible make a difference.
Modern tools. Nobody wants to work somewhere that feels stuck in the past. Digital tools signal a forward-thinking employer.
Recognition. Skilled trades take pride in their work. Acknowledge good work when you see it.
If you can’t find more workers, make the ones you have more productive. This isn’t about working people harder. It’s about removing the obstacles that waste their time.
Site managers typically spend 10-15 hours per week on admin, chasing information, and coordination. That’s time not spent managing the actual build. Every phone call asking “where are the latest drawings?” or “what’s the spec for this?” is wasted productivity.
When trades can find information themselves, plans, specs, schedules, they stop asking you. When everyone sees the latest drawings automatically, you eliminate rework from outdated information. BuildersAI gives every worker on site instant access to the information they need, without the endless phone calls and WhatsApp chaos.
If you can’t find skilled workers, consider developing them yourself.
Yes, there’s a risk they’ll leave. But if you don’t train anyone, you’ll definitely have nobody.
Only 15% of the construction workforce is female. That’s a massive untapped talent pool. Companies actively working on diversity aren’t just doing the right thing. They’re accessing workers their competitors can’t reach.
One trend worth watching: the rise of the multiskilled operative. Workers who can handle carpentry, basic plumbing, decorating, and minor repairs are increasingly valuable, particularly for refurbishment and maintenance work.
If you’re training or hiring, versatility is worth paying for. A worker who can handle multiple aspects of a job is worth more than a specialist who stands idle waiting for their specific task.
The building trades job market is forecast for steady growth. 8% expansion expected in 2025, with further rises in 2026. That growth depends on having workers to deliver it.
The CITB is investing £267 million to address the skills crisis, focusing on diversity, quality, and making construction more attractive to new generations. But institutional change is slow, and you need workers now.
The builders who thrive in this environment will be those who:
The skills shortage isn’t going away in 2026. But with the right approach, your business can adapt and succeed despite it.
When skilled workers are scarce, every hour matters. BuildersAI helps your team find information instantly, coordinate in real-time, and spend less time on admin, so they can focus on the actual build. 14-day free trial with every feature.
Ready to fix this on your site?
BuildersAI puts drawings, tasks, and updates on every phone on site. 14-day free trial, every feature, no card.
William Charlesworth-Jones
Founder, BuildersAI
Founder of BuildersAI with a background in construction and economics. After watching coordination chaos waste hours on every site, he set out to build AI tools that actually work for UK builders.
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