New workforce reports out this year show the same picture in most English-speaking countries. Building work is picking up again in some places, but there are not enough skilled trades coming through to replace the people who are retiring. If you run a trade business, this affects who you can hire, what you pay, and how much work you can take on.
Here is what the latest numbers say, country by country.
New Zealand: a downturn now, a shortage later
New Zealand has been through a slow patch, and many skilled workers have left the industry or moved to Australia. In March 2026 the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) warned of “a significant skills shortage if we don’t respond now” as activity recovers.
Some of the figures BCITO pointed to:
- Consents for new homes in 2025 were up 9 percent on 2024.
- The value of non-residential consents fell 4.6 percent in 2025.
- Infrastructure work is forecast to grow from $55.7 billion in 2025 to $65.4 billion in 2030, based on the National Construction Pipeline.
- Employers already put about $750 million a year into training apprentices, counting supervision, training time and pastoral care.
BCITO also noted that small firms are often wary of taking on apprentices while the outlook is uncertain. That is a risk, because today’s apprentices are the qualified builders of 2030.
Australia: almost half of trade jobs in shortage
Jobs and Skills Australia publishes an Occupation Shortage List each year. The latest version, released in October 2025, assessed 1,022 occupations. Of those, 293, or about 29 percent, were in shortage nationally. That is down from 33 percent in 2024 and 36 percent in 2023.
Trades are still the hardest hit. The report says almost 1 in 2 technician and trade occupations are in shortage. Of the 139 occupations that have been in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025, 71 are trade or technician roles. The report names construction, engineering and automotive trades as the main areas of persistent shortage, along with trades needed for the clean energy shift.
So while shortages are easing overall, finding a qualified tradie is still hard in many parts of Australia.
United Kingdom: 41,200 extra workers a year
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) released its Construction Workforce Outlook for 2026 to 2030 in June 2026. It says the industry needs about 206,000 extra workers over five years. That is about 41,200 a year, or around 1.6 percent of the 2025 workforce.
CITB expects activity to stay subdued in 2026, then recover from 2027. Infrastructure and new housing, both public and private, are the main growth areas. Industry reports on the outlook point to bricklayers, carpenters and joiners, and electricians as trades in high demand, along with site managers and quantity surveyors. The workforce is projected to reach around 2.68 million people by 2030.
United States: about 349,000 new workers needed
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimates the US construction industry needs to attract about 349,000 net new workers in 2026. That figure jumps to about 456,000 in 2027, when ABC expects spending growth to pick up again. The estimate was released in January 2026 and uses federal labour and census data.
Ageing is a big part of the problem. ABC notes that about one in five electricians is over 55.
Canada: retirements are the big pressure
BuildForce Canada released its 2026 to 2035 outlook in July 2026. The industry employs more than 1.6 million people, and BuildForce flags retirements as a key challenge across the country.
For home building, BuildForce’s residential outlook projects that about 21 percent of the workforce, roughly 135,000 people, will retire by 2035. That figure was cited by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association in October 2026. Large infrastructure and major projects are driving demand in several provinces, which adds to the pressure.
Which trades come up again and again
The reports use different methods, so they are not directly comparable. But a few themes stand out:
- Electricians, named in the UK, with many older US electricians close to retiring.
- Carpenters, joiners and bricklayers, needed for housing in the UK.
- Construction, engineering and automotive trades in Australia, where shortages have lasted five years or more.
- Site managers who can run jobs, flagged in the UK.
What it means for your business
- Plan ahead for staff. If work picks up in 2027 as several forecasts expect, good people will be harder to find. Start conversations with potential hires now.
- Think about an apprentice. Training your own is slower, but it is one of the few ways small firms can build a team when the market is tight.
- Look after the people you have. Losing an experienced worker costs far more than keeping one. Fair pay, steady work and clear communication all help.
- Price for the real cost of labour. If wages rise in a tight market, your rates and quotes need to keep up.
- Use your time well. When you cannot add staff, cutting admin and travel time is the next best way to get more done.
Sources
- Construction is finally taking off – and keeping it on course means investing in the crew, BCITO
- Shortages ease, gaps persist: 2025 Occupation Shortage List, Jobs and Skills Australia
- 2025 OSL Key Findings Report, Jobs and Skills Australia
- CITB publishes Construction Workforce Outlook 2026-2030, CITB
- Construction must find 206,000 extra workers by 2030, says CITB, ACE / Infrastructure Intelligence
- Construction Industry Must Attract 349,000 Workers in 2026, EC and M
- Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward 2026-2035, BuildForce Canada
- Canada has the cash for its building boom but does it have the crews?, Canadian HR Reporter
This article is general information based on sources available in October 2026. Rules, prices and figures change, so check the current details with the official source where you work.