The UK construction workforce (not seasonally adjusted) was 4% smaller in 1Q2026 than it was in 1Q2025, new employment data from the ONS suggests.
A total of 2,051,416 people were estimated to be working in construction, which represents a 14% decline on the size of the workforce 20 years ago in 1Q2006.
Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ”The latest figures suggest the construction workforce continues to contract and, while the data should be treated with some caution given the ongoing Labour Force Survey quality concerns, the broader trend reflects many of the challenges the sector has been experiencing around workload uncertainty, recruitment pressures and an ageing workforce.
“The government’s latest investment in construction training and placements is a positive step and should help improve routes into the industry, particularly for younger workers. However, rebuilding workforce capacity is not simply a question of increasing training numbers. Firms still need the confidence, workload visibility and financial stability to commit to long-term recruitment and retention.”
In 1Q2026, there were an estimated 1,260,778 employed workers and 790,638 self-employed workers in construction. Self-employed workers accounted for 39% of the overall workforce, a slightly higher proportion than has been the overall average level (37%) of self-employment in the sector since 1997.
The number of employed workers in 1Q2026 was down by 6% on the year.
Self-employed workers in construction decreased slightly by 0.1% on the year.
Dr Crosthwaite said: “The relatively high proportion of self-employed workers continues to highlight the flexible nature of the construction labour market and the extent to which the industry relies on that flexibility to respond to changing workloads and market conditions.
“The fact that self-employment has remained comparatively resilient suggests businesses are still exercising caution around permanent recruitment decisions. This is a reflection of the wider market, where firms continue to balance recruitment plans against uncertainty around project pipelines, inflationary pressures and overall viability.
“However, it also raises longer-term questions around workforce capacity and mobilisation. If demand begins to accelerate again, the industry could find it more difficult to scale up quickly if the overall workforce has reduced and more labour has shifted towards flexible or self-employed arrangements. This could create additional challenges around skills availability, continuity and the ability to respond efficiently to major increases in workload.”
By gender, 85% of construction workers in 1Q2026 were men, with an estimated 311,140 women working in the sector in total.
New figures from the ONS Vacancy Survey – a monthly survey that provides estimates of the number of available positions in the economy – show that in the three months to April 2026, there were an estimated 29,000 job vacancies in the construction sector (seasonally adjusted), at a ratio of 1.8 vacancies per 100 employee jobs.
Compared with the same period in 2025, this was approximately 4,000 fewer vacancies.
Dr Crosthwaite added: “The decline in vacancies suggests firms are more cautious about recruitment rather than indicating that labour pressures across the industry have disappeared. Many businesses are continuing to balance hiring decisions against subdued workloads, tight margins and uncertainty around future project pipelines.
“At the same time, the industry still faces longer-term workforce challenges, particularly in specialist and experienced roles. Lower vacancy levels do not necessarily mean those pressures have been resolved, but may instead reflect weaker confidence and a more cautious approach to expanding headcount in the current market environment.”
