And their pay is expected to rise further should the people of the UK vote to leave the European Union next month.
Latest data from the Royal Institution of British Architects shows that the average salary for its members is less than 拢34,000 a year and for senior architects it is 拢40,959.
Hourly rates for staff placed by RIBA鈥檚 recruitment agency range from 拢18-拢20 for newly registered architects to 拢20-拢25 for more experienced ones.
A survey of construction recruitment firms by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) today reveals that 19% currently pay bricklayers between 拢20 and 拢25 an hour. The figure rises to 36% in London. A further 46% (64% in London) pay bricklayers between 拢15 and 拢20 an hour.
More than six in ten recruitment agencies said that demand for temporary construction workers has increased over the last year. 43% of recruitment firms said that finding bricklayers was particularly difficult.
Construction recruitment firms predict that a vote to leave the EU would exacerbate the shortage of candidates. In the survey, 59% said that a Brexit would make it more difficult to find suitable workers to fill vacancies, while only 5% said the situation would be improved as a result.
These findings follow the latest employment data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which shows a year-on-year increase in wages in the construction sector of 7.5% excluding bonuses. ONS data also reveals that in December 2015 there were 2,238,000 jobs in construction, making up 6.6 per cent of all jobs. The construction sector was the second biggest job creator last year, accounting for 25% of job growth in 2015.
REC chief executive Kevin Green said: 鈥淚f you work in construction you can expect to be earning 拢34 a week more than last year, and our data indicates that some employers are increasing pay faster as the competition for skilled workers intensifies.
鈥淲hilst this is great news for builders and tradesmen, there are hard questions that need to be asked about the sustainability of this trend. The UK is close to full employment and building firms are already struggling to find the people needed for major infrastructure projects. If Britain leaves the EU there鈥檚 no doubt that recruitment for some construction roles will become even more of a challenge.聽
鈥淲hatever the outcome of the EU referendum we need to address deep-seated skills shortages. That means more apprenticeships, greater investment in skills development by employers, better careers guidance in schools, and more work experience opportunities so that young people are shown the potential benefits of a career in construction.鈥澛�
The REC survey
In April 2016 the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) surveyed member agencies that supply staff to the construction sector. 32% of respondents place 100-300 temp staff every week and 14% of respondents place 300+ temp staff every week.
In London specifically, 38% of recruitment firms place 100-300 temp staff every week, and 6% place 300+ temp staff every week.
Thinking about the last 12 months, demand for temporary construction workers has: (Select one)
Total businesses: 43
- Increased significantly聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 23%
- Increased a little聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 40%
- Stayed the same聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 16%
- Decreased a little聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽19%
- Decreased significantly聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2%
Which vacancies do you currently struggle to fill due to a shortage of suitable candidates? (Multiple choice)
Total businesses: 44
- Surveyor聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 55%
- Other trades聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 50%
- Bricklayer聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 43%
- Project manager聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 34%
- Labour/General operative聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 20%
- Architect聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 14%
What is the average hourly pay rate that is currently paid for bricklayers?
Total businesses: 37
- Under 拢10 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 3%
- 拢10-15 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽 32%
- 拢15-20 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 46%
- 拢20-25 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 19%
- More than 拢25 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 0%
What is the average hourly pay rate that is currently paid for bricklayers in London?
Total businesses: 14
- Under 拢10 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 0%
- 拢10-15 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 0%
- 拢15-20 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽64%
- 拢20-25 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 36%
- More than 拢25 p/h聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 0%
If Britain leaves the EU, freedom of movement is likely to be impacted. How do you think this would affect your ability to find suitable candidates to fill vacancies in construction?
Total businesses: 44
- It would become more difficult to find suitable candidates 聽 59%
- Britain leaving the EU would not impact my ability to find suitable candidates聽 29%
- It would become easier to find suitable candidates 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽聽 5%
- None of the above聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 聽聽聽聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽聽聽聽 7%
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