New forecast highlights the skills needed to meet future industry demand
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has today published its Construction Workforce Outlook 2026-30. The annual report sets out expected construction demand over the next five years and the implications for the construction workforce.
The Outlook shows growth is expected to return to the industry over the medium-term, but that it continues to face ongoing pressures in recruiting and retaining the workforce it needs. The short-term picture for construction is challenging, with uncertainty and cost pressures affecting activity.
Meeting future demand will require sustained focus on recruitment, training and supporting people into construction jobs. This includes both attracting new entrants and replacing workers leaving the industry, and will require collaboration across industry, stakeholders and Government to meet the demands of the workforce.
The Outlook provides a UK-wide view, alongside insights for nations and regions, helping industry and stakeholders understand where demand is likely to be strongest and how workforce needs may change over time.
CITB has been producing the Construction Workforce Outlook since 2006/2007 to provide evidence and insights into the number of workers needed to meet forecasted demand. It is still the only report of this type for the construction industry and is compiled using a range of both backward- and forward-looking data. Having a view on changes in the construction workforce and the need for extra workers is a core part of helping CITB better understand future training needs.
The Construction Workforce Outlook represents a significant component of CITB’s Industry Picture that explains the current and future circumstances of construction, the skills and people needs and where targeted action can have the greatest impact. As set out in Industry Picture, too few people are entering the sector, too many experienced workers are leaving, and productivity improvements have not been sufficient to close the gap. This will increasingly put a strain on the industry’s capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and retrofit commitments.
However, recent initiatives, such as the government’s £600m investment to support construction training and alongside additional funding such as the Youth Guarantee and Jobs Guarantee to help younger people into work, demonstrate a willingness to support the industry.
The Construction Workforce Outlook 2026-2030 and supporting materials, including a web-based interactive tool and downloadable reports, are available at: https://www.citb.co.uk/cwo
Industry reaction
Tim Balcon, CITB CEO, said:
“Our latest Construction Workforce Outlook highlights where construction skills demand is expected to grow, offering the evidence needed to guide workforce and skills planning in a period of significant opportunity and challenge.
“The construction industry is faced with balancing short-term business uncertainty while ensuring there are enough skilled workers to meet the expected demand for longer-term opportunities.
“Together, alongside government and industry stakeholders, we can ensure the construction industry is equipped to deliver for the UK’s future.”
Mark Reynolds CBE, Co-Chair of the Construction Skills Mission Board, said:
“The CITB Construction Workforce Outlook provides the industry with a vital insight into the workforce required to meet the capacity for the most critical trades and professions, across the country over the next five years.
“It demonstrates that there remains significant demand for new people to join our industry and will hopefully give employers more confidence to employ and train new entrants for the sector to continue to grow meet its capability and capacity demands.”
Mark Farmer, member of the Construction Skills Mission Board and Construction Leadership Council, said:
“There’s never been a more important time to be thinking about the strategic outlook for the industry and its workforce needs. This ultimately is a data driven exercise of balancing both current and future supply and demand.
“The latest Construction Workforce Outlook published by CITB indicates that despite industry currently grappling with challenging economic conditions, longer-term needs to replenish and sustainably grow the workforce remain. Bridging the gap between current capacity to employ and train and the imperative to build a future ready workforce remains the central challenge.”