UK weekly hours worked: construction
UK weekly hours worked: construction stood at 39.52 hours per week in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILOSTAT). It is one of the indicators in the Labour force, ILO annual table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1993 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour force, ILO annual table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly hours worked, Both sexes | |||||||||||
| Construction | 39.52 | 39.4 | 39.42 | 39.27 | 39.23 | 39.07 | 40.19 | 40.4 | 40.75 | 40.75 | |
| Mining, utilities and energy | 39.97 | 40.46 | 40.33 | 39.38 | 40.02 | 39.9 | 41.19 | 41.79 | 41.08 | 41 |
Understanding UK weekly hours worked: construction
Building and civil engineering operations across the United Kingdom dictate the scope of this series, capturing both paid employees and self-employed operatives. The metric records actual hours spent on site or performing related professional tasks, encompassing both standard hours and paid or unpaid overtime. Excluded are hours lost due to official holidays, sickness, or severe weather events that halt site activity. Compared with broader aggregates, this sector-specific indicator reflects distinct working patterns influenced by project deadlines, daylight availability, and subcontracting structures.
Interpreting the series requires caution regarding seasonal weather disruptions and holiday periods that disproportionately affect outdoor trades. Early estimates frequently undergo upward or downward revisions as survey returns from smaller subcontractors are fully incorporated. Annual comparisons provide a clearer signal than sequential periods, filtering out predictable quarterly fluctuations driven by climate conditions. Analysts must also account for shifts in the balance between direct employment and subcontracting, which can alter how hours are reported without changing underlying output.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include time spent travelling to building sites?
- No, ordinary commuting and travel between home and the initial workplace are excluded from hours actually worked.
- How does bad weather affect the reported figures?
- Periods of extreme cold or heavy rainfall reduce actual hours worked if sites close, pulling down the annual average.
- Are self-employed builders counted in these hours?
- Yes, sole traders and partners operating within the sector are included alongside wage-earning employees.