Freelance Builder Pay Trends: June 2014

Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indications of pay trends across the construction industry, using payroll data for over 2,200 construction companies to publish the average pay for the full spectrum of 17 different trades across five regions.

Earnings continue to fall this month – with only the North-East bucking the trend.  And we’re seeing reports almost daily about the way that construction is getting back on its feet, especially in the house building and civil engineering sectors.

So what is going on?

Growing pains

“Growth brings problems of its own,” says Hudson Contract Managing Director Ian Anfield.  “Increased demand for materials means lead times are getting longer.  And the availability of subbies is also being reported as an issue, which means the industry is failing to keep up with demand.  It also points to increased opportunities for highly skilled freelance builders, and hopefully that will show in the pay trends in the coming months.”

On a trade-by-trade basis, electricians are winners across the country as a whole this month.  But plumbers have taken a hit, with earnings down everywhere – and by almost £100 a week in the South-West.

One surprise, however, is that the reports of increased activity in civil engineering is not reflected, with earnings across all regions either remaining static or decreasing.

This month’s winners

Bricklayers in the South-West: +23.70%

Shopfitters in the North-East: +17.08%

Demolition in the South-East: +13.58%

This month’s losers

Surfacing Contractors in the North-West: -16.59%

Demolition in the North-West: -14.08%

Scaffolders in the South-West: -13.77%

The bigger picture

Meanwhile, compared to this time last year, earnings have increased in all five regions, with those in the North of England and the Midlands doing better than their Southern counterparts – although as you would expect those in the South-East continue to earn the most.

Average Weekly Earnings Year-on-Year