UK worker shortages: construction businesses
UK worker shortages: construction businesses stood at 14.9% in Aug 2026, according to ONS — Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). It is one of the indicators in the Workforce pressures (BICS) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Oct 2021 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Workforce pressures (BICS) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experiencing a shortage of workers | |||||||||||
| Construction | 14.9 | 12.4 | 14 | 10.9 | 17.2 | 13.7 | 15 | 14.6 | 13.8 | 20.1 | |
| Wholesale & retail trade | 10.1 | 10.7 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 12.1 | 9.3 | 7.9 | 8 | 10 | 10.6 |
Understanding UK worker shortages: construction businesses
Building firms, civil engineering contractors, specialist trade subcontractors, and property developers throughout the United Kingdom measure the proportion of respondents hampered by insufficient labour on active sites. This metric isolates the physical construction domain from other commercial sectors, focusing exclusively on tradespeople, project managers, and labourers required to complete structural projects. Unlike office-based or administrative metrics, responses here reflect immediate site delays caused by missing bricklayers, electricians, and carpenters.
When evaluating these percentages, analysts must account for weather-related seasonal slowdowns and fluctuations in major infrastructure project pipelines that alter recruitment needs. Period-on-period comparisons provide a more reliable gauge of shifting site conditions than annual averages, which can smooth out critical interim bottlenecks. Observers must avoid confusing these structural labour gaps with standard vacancy counts published by official employment registers, as survey respondents report operational friction rather than formally advertised positions.
Frequently asked questions
- Which trades are included in construction shortages?
- The measure encompasses all site-based roles, from specialist subcontractors to general labourers.
- Are seasonal weather patterns visible in this series?
- Winter conditions frequently influence outdoor building work, creating predictable fluctuations in reported recruitment difficulties.
- How does this differ from the manufacturing series?
- Construction tracks physical building sites and infrastructure projects, while manufacturing measures factory production floors.