A shortage of skills and contractors is hindering construction projects in Wales, new research suggests. According to the RICS construction monitor for Q1 2023, the shortage of available labour in the sector is impacting growth in construction activity in Wales, with demand outstripping the supply of available contractors.
The survey found that, although there are increases in construction activity, over 70% of chartered quantity surveyors in Wales said skills shortages are limiting the sector’s ability to take on more work. In the latest analysis, 67% reported a shortage in quantity surveyors, 54% reported a shortage in other construction professionals and 61% reported a shortage in bricklayers.
Despite this, a net balance of 11% of those surveyed in Wales reported that construction workloads had increased in the first quarter of the year. This increase was almost entirely driven by publicly-funded house building projects and other public sector works. But falls in private house-building and private commercial construction were also reported.
