Freelance Builder Pay Trends: July 2021

The cost of skilled labour increased by 3.6 per cent last month, highlighting the inflationary pressures in the construction industry supply chain.

Our latest payroll statistics show average weekly earnings for self-employed tradespeople rose to £904 during July, handing subbies an extra £124 over the month.

In the East Midlands, labour costs hit an all-time high of £1,014 with demand driven by new regeneration, housing and infrastructure projects.

Ian Anfield, managing director, said: “The housing market is booming with the price of the average UK home increasing by nearly £25,000 over the last year. We expect strong demand for new housing and renovation schemes to continue for the foreseeable future. The government is committed to big infrastructure investments as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda, which is adding to confidence in the sector.

“The challenge for construction firms will be in managing rising costs caused by shortages in building materials and skilled labour. We encourage ministers to consider how the industry can increase access to skilled freelancers from Europe under the new immigration system. Self-employed subcontractors make up the most productive and flexible pool of resource in the industry and Britain needs them to deliver these projects on budget and on time.”

July 2021 AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FREELANCE TRADESPEOPLE: £904

To view our interactive pay trends map click here

We are the UK’s largest provider of tax status and employment contract services to the construction industry and supply more than 2,500 companies across England and Wales.

Hudson delivers the most accurate indication of subcontractor pay trends across the construction industry, publishing the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across 10 regions in England and Wales. It supplies statistics to the Bank of England to keep policymakers updated with real-time insights on demand for skilled labour.

Hudson Contract’s ‘Window on the Construction Industry’ gives you hard figures and data that is not available from any other source, with pay averages that reflect the amounts paid by a sample number of businesses – large and small – to specific trades during 2021.