Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, construction wages have risen by an average of 11% according to data from a staffing software supplier.
Over the past two years, Crawler crane operators have seen their pay increase by 54% followed by Electrical testers who have seen a 34% increase and steel fixers who have seen a rise of 22%.
The analysis of pay trends since June 2016 was conducted by Engage Technology partners which attributed the pay rise to shifting patterns of migrant labour.
Bradley Post, Managing Director at RIFT Tax Refunds commented:
“It’s great to see the rise in construction wages and it’s something we expect to see continue in the coming years. Currently the UK construction industry is facing a serious skills shortfall in the next 10 years. We’re looking at a potential 25% drop in the labour pool over the coming decade and that’s before we even consider the effects Brexit might have.
“Short term, a high demand for skilled labour is likely to mean lower unemployment rates among construction workers and possibly higher wages. The trouble with a shrinking talent pool, though, is you can quickly find yourself with too few skilled hands for your workload. Projects get delayed or cancelled and investors get nervous about putting money at risk. It looks like we’ll be feeling the aftershock of Brexit for the years to come but we’ve always worked closely with the construction industry and will continue to do so to make sure we’re on top of any rules and regulations that may start to change.”