14th July 2026 | Hudson Contract
Labour rates dipped last month as tradespeople finished work early due to the double whammy of the June heatwave and the group stages of football’s World Cup, according to Hudson Contract.
Analysis of construction’s biggest payroll shows average weekly earnings of £1,054 during June, a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to May.
Year on year, pay increased by 3.1 per cent, just above the 3 per cent rate of inflation.
Plumbers saw the steepest month-on-month decline, down 10 per cent from May to £1,208 a week, followed by bricklayers (down 6.7 per cent to £918) and electricians (down 3.7 per cent to £1,258).
The dip coincided with record temperatures of 37.7°C in England and 35.9°C in Wales, alongside the opening weeks of the World Cup, which kicked off on June 11 with 104 games over 39 days.
Commenting on the findings, Hudson managing director Ian Anfield said: “Some sites have reduced hours due to the sweltering heat while subbies have taken time off to watch the football. The combination of the heatwave and England’s charge through the World Cup has reduced output on sites.”
On the wider economic outlook, Ian added: “Housing market data shows house prices rose for the first time in four months in June and banks are trimming mortgage rates from recent highs. However, renewed strikes between the USA and Iran in the Middle East won’t stabilise oil prices.”
Although based on a smaller dataset than Hudson’s pay trends, a monthly survey of 170 construction purchasing managers suggests the sector has been in contraction since the start of 2025.
| Region | June 2026 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
| North East | £893 | 3.5% | 20.5% |
| North West | £962 | -4.0% | 0.8% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £1,031 | -2.6% | 2.3% |
| East Midlands | £1,050 | -0.5% | -0.7% |
| West Midlands | £1,012 | -0.2% | 7.2% |
| Wales | £1,202 | -2.0% | 8.2% |
| East of England | £1,118 | -2.8% | 3.4% |
| London | £1,097 | -1.0% | 1.6% |
| South East | £1,093 | -2.3% | 1.4% |
| South West | £1,054 | 0.4% | 0.2% |
To view our interactive pay trends map click here
Hudson tracks average pay for 17 different trades across 10 regions in England and Wales, supplying labour market statistics to the Bank of England to inform policy decisions on skilled labour demand.
The company serves a national client base of 2,600 construction SMEs, ranging from specialist subcontractors to medium and large-sized businesses.
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