There are other surprises too: bricklayers’ pay has fallen.
Payroll services firm Hudson Contract has produced a pay trends index from an analysis of payroll data from more than 2,000 building firms across England and Wales.
It shows that self-employed tradesman in Wales have seen a 5.3% year-on-year increase in earnings over the past year – compared to just a 1.8% rise nationally across England.
Regional differences across England show that there was a 4.2% rise in Yorkshire & The Humber but a 2.1% fall in the neighbouring Northeast region. London builders also saw a fall in earnings, of 0.4%.
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The data is contained within Construction Pay Trends, a new interactive online information service that Hudson Contracts has set up. It reveals pay differences every week by region, age and sub sectors such as bricklaying and joinery through to roofing and surfacing contractors, providing new and timely insight into pay levels.
Across all construction trades, the highest increase in earnings year-on-year was within the roofing sector which experienced 6.1% growth, followed by 4.8% in plastering and 4.2% in scaffolding.
Bricklayers, despite often cited as being in short supply, saw their average earnings fall 1% over the past year. Those working in the equipment and operator hire industry have fared even worse, seeing a 4.1% average drop in earnings for the year to date.
Hudson Contract managing director Ian Anfield said: “We’ve developed the Construction Pay Trends index to provide the most comprehensive insight into pay levels across the industry. It has revealed some fascinating trends on both a national and regional level, with tradesman in Wales experiencing the sharpest annual growth in earnings. The index will update monthly to reveal the latest pay trends – providing the perfect online career resource for building apprentices through to industry analysts assessing the ongoing health of the construction sector.”
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