Welsh builders remain resilient despite skills shortages, says FMB Cymru

Builders in Wales experienced a big drop in workloads and enquiries at the end of 2019 but the year as a whole was one of growth, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru.

The key results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q4 are:

• Small to medium-sized (SME) construction firms in Wales saw a big drop in workloads and enquiries of 32 percentage points to +23, continuing the volatile trend seen throughout this year.
• Bricklayers overtake carpenters as the trade in shortest supply with over half of construction SMEs struggling to hire bricklayers (54%) and 53% struggling to hire carpenters and joiners.
• Around 84% of respondents foresee higher material costs over the next six months.
• A rise of 1 percentage point took the net balance for expected wages and salaries to +56.

Ifan Glyn, FMB Cymru Director, said:

“These results mark an end to what has been a volatile year and decade. Whilst demand has blown hot and cold, builders in Wales have weathered this uncertainty.”

Glyn concluded:

“The main concern for Welsh builders is retaining and recruiting skilled workers. We have not been attracting enough new entrants into the industry to keep up with demand. We have a huge task on our hands to encourage more youngsters into the industry and with National Apprenticeship Week taking place next week, what better time to sing the praises of construction as a rewarding career path.”