The latest figures have shown that average weekly earnings for freelance construction workers broke new records last week, as workers in some areas of the UK took home more than £1,000 per week. Across the whole of England and Wales, average weekly pay increased 0.9 per cent in March, matching the all-time high figure of £959 recorded in December 2021.
According to employment services provider Hudson Contract, the demand for tradespeople in London, the South East and the East Midlands has outweighed supply, enabling some self-employed construction workers to command four-figure pay packets every week in March.
Ian Anfield, managing director for Hudson Contract said: “For pay to reach these levels at this time of year when building sites are usually dogged by bad weather suggests this is going to be a strong year for workload and earnings.”
Anfield continued: “While there are still huge issues around inflation, fuel and materials which can only be made worse by the war in Ukraine, the construction industry is still running at full capacity. There is still huge pent-up demand for housing in the UK and there is still a shortage of skilled workers. Our clients are flat-out, with full order books.”
According to Hudson Contract, the average weekly pay had increased by almost 1 per cent in seven out of 10 regions measured across the UK. Among the regions reporting increases, Yorkshire had seen the biggest rise, with average pay rising 4.3 per cent. Overall, the East Midlands saw the highest average weekly play, with the region recording an average of £1,070 last month.
Going by sub-sectors, self-employed demolition and wrecking specialists saw the largest monthly increase among tradespeople, with an average increase of 8.1 per cent. However, plumbers earned the highest of all the trades with an average of £1,139 per week, according to Hudson Contract figures.
