Brexit report: construction wages up

The UK’s vote to leave the EU has pushed construction wages up 11%, according to recent data from Engage Technology Partners.

In an analysis of pay trends following the referendum in 2016, the staffing software supplier found that wages are on an upward trajectory in the industry as firms look to reduce a long-standing reliance on international talent.

According to the data, in the period 2016 - 2018, Crawler Crane Operators have seen the greatest pay increase (54%), while Electrical Testers have reported a 34% surge and Steel Fixers a rise of 22%.

Drey Francis, Director at Engage commented on the data:

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“In its report on the potential impact of Brexit on the industry, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) highlighted the sheer extent of reliance on international staff, with some locations such as London reporting that over half of the construction workforce consists of migrant workers. While there’s certainly no agreement on the terms of our exit, the impact on the industry is already being noted – and we can expect to see wages rise further in the near future as talent demands continue to stretch.”

“With staffing budgets on the up, firms are facing greater pressure to control project finances and we are expecting to see growing demand for our staffing supply chain management software, as clients strive to better control costs.”