A new Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) report has found that the UK construction industry needs to recruit more than 239,000 extra workers over the next five years.
The CITB has launched its Construction Workforce Outlook 2025–29 report, which sets out the labour requirements of the sector. The report forecasts that the UK construction workforce will grow to around 2.75 million by 2029. The number of extra workers required for the next five years period is estimated at 47,860 per year, which is equivalent to 1.8% of the 2024 workforce.
Previously named the Construction Skills Network report, the Workforce Outlook is said to reflect a broader understanding of the UK construction industry’s needs.
The outlook shows that there are opportunities ahead and that successfully achieving them requires long-term commitment from employers, government, training providers and CITB.
For construction to have the workforce it needs in the future, CITB said investment in training that supports people into jobs is crucial.
CITB has been producing workforce outlooks since 2006/2007 to provide evidence and insights into the number of workers needed to meet forecasted demand.
The Construction Workforce Outlook 2025-29 report can be viewed and downloaded – along with a new web-based interactive tool – at: www.citb.co.uk/cwo
