Gas engineers and plumbers will be among the most in-demand trades in 2024, according to new research. As the UK construction industry is projected to reach £404 billion in revenue by 2024, recent data has highlighted the trades facing the greatest shortage.
The research, conducted by metals4U, a metal supplier, analysed job listings on popular platforms such as Indeed, Totaljobs, and Reed to determine the most sought-after skills within the trades.
Builders, electricians, and gas engineers are the top three trades projected to be in high demand, with job sites advertising over 55,000 open positions. The construction industry as a whole has over 80,000 job vacancies, indicating an ongoing nationwide shortage of skills.
Builders are by far the most in demand, while electricians and gas engineers also being in short supply for 2024:
1. Builders (41,505 vacancies)
2. Electricians (9365 vacancies)
3. Gas Engineers (7393 vacancies)
4. Flooring Contractors (6081 vacancies)
5. Carpenters (4791 vacancies)
6. Plumbers (4585 vacancies)
7. Joiners (3865 vacancies)
8. Window Cleaners (3,717 vacancies)
9. Painters (2277 vacancies)
10. Roofers (1618 vacancies)
Firms employing plasterers, bricklayers, and tilers are having less trouble filling positions, with fewer than 1,000 listings for each trade across job sites.
The skills shortage in the trade industry is currently at an all-time high and is expected to continue. An industry report predicts that the construction and trade sectors will require 937,000 new workers by 2032 to meet the growing demand.
The study also revealed the trades most in-demand within different UK cities. Flooring contractors are high in-demand in London, while there is a shortage of gas engineers in Birmingham and Liverpool. Joiners are a highly sought after trade in Edinburgh and Leeds.
Paul McFadyen, chairman at metals4U, shared his insight into what an industry-wide skills shortage could mean for the trade sector:
“Construction, building, and metal materials have been in heavy demand in the UK over the last few years, with increased development in residential and commercial properties. And the growing demand for builders and other tradespeople, combined with a shortage of the right qualifications is causing major issues. A recent FMB State of Trade survey revealed that 60% of jobs are stalled due to labour shortages, and this is something expected to continue in the construction industry next year as more houses need to be built.”
