Construction wages continue to increase

Permanent and temporary wages have increased in last 12 months.

Salaries in the construction industry are on the rise and are higher this year than the levels in 2014.

This is according to figures released by Ionic Recruitment, a recruitment company specialising in construction as well as maintenance and social housing.

Now is “an opportune time” to enter the construction industry given that over the last 12 months, wages of construction employees have gone up by 8%.

Permanent and temporary staff members have enjoyed higher remuneration than the previous 12 months, with quantity surveyors in particular enjoying a huge boost given wages have increased by more than 45%.

Site managers have enjoyed a 26% rise in wages, while tenant liaison officers, business development managers and assistant quantity surveyors have all seen their wages go up by more than 20%.

With demand outstripping supply, this trend is likely to continue and Martyn Makinson, Managing Director at Ionic Recruitment, also pointed to the skills shortage as a reason why people should consider a construction industry-related career.

He said: “There’s been a marked increase in new construction projects in the last 12 months; which is backed up by the recent construction output forecast results. The recent general election has also been a boost, as construction companies now know what they can expect from the government for the next five years.

“Senior roles have clearly seen a larger increase in salary thanks to the demand for experienced workers. With current employment gaps and a shortage of construction contractors, now is an opportune time to consider a career within the construction industry.”

Contrary to popular belief, the wage increases experienced by temporary employees in the sector are quite similar to those of permanent workers.

The best-performing in this respect is painters/decorators who have seen wages go up by almost 46%. Groundworkers, joiners, telehandlers and fencers have also seen noticeable wage increases, all of which are over 12% compared to last year.

Martyn Makinson believes the similarities in wage rises for permanent and temporary workers can only be good news for the industry as a whole.

“Some may predict that permanent workers see bigger increases in wages as temporary workers tend to barter more to secure contracts,” he said.

“Our figures show that actually, the wage increases are pretty similar across both which is good news in general for the construction sector as a whole.”

Given the skills shortage and government targets to create three million apprenticeships in the next five years, there is a great incentive for young people in particular to enter the industry in the form of traineeships and apprenticeships, which will help secure the construction industry for a generation.

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