HIA Trades Report indicates HomeBuilder has prompted most significant skill shortage since 2004
The Announcement:
“The building industry is continuing to attract workers from across the economy as it experiences the most significant skill shortage since 2004,” stated HIA Economist, Angela Lillicrap.
The HIA Trades Report was released today. It provides a quarterly review of the availability of skilled trades and any demand pressures on trades operating in the residential building industry. The HIA Trades Availability Index recorded a level of -0.55 in the March 2021 quarter, down from -0.35 in the December 2020 quarter.
“Skilled trades were in high demand during the March 2021 quarter as the number of new house commencements reached record heights,” added Ms Lillicrap.
“The speed at which detached home building has accelerated since the announcement of HomeBuilder has led to a shortage of trades. This is very different from the structural problems that led to the shortage of trades in 2004.
“The residential construction industry employs over 1 million people and this number is expected to grow.
“HomeBuilder was designed to support jobs in the construction industry. This data is further evidence that it was successful in meeting that objective.
“This strong level of building activity is expected to continue into 2022. For anyone looking to start an apprenticeship or learn a trade, now is a good time,” concluded Ms Lillicrap.
Source: Housing Industry Association (HIA)
