Labour’s ambitious target to build 1.5 million homes in England by 2029 faces a significant hurdle: a declining construction workforce. Research indicates that to meet this goal, the sector needs to recruit 300 new builders daily. However, the current trend shows a loss of 200 workers each day, compounding the challenge.
Last year, only 143,110 homes were constructed, marking the lowest output since 2015/16. This shortfall raises concerns about the feasibility of Labour’s housing manifesto, which aims for a daily completion rate of 1,008 homes. Currently, the industry is only achieving 547 homes per day, necessitating an 84% increase in output.
The construction industry is grappling with a workforce reduction of nearly 79,000 in the past year, according to the Office for National Statistics. This decline is exacerbated by rising construction costs and economic pressures, including those stemming from international conflicts.
In response, the government has launched a skills package and allocated substantial funding to attract and train new workers. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen, as the sector struggles to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and Brexit, leaving the housing target in jeopardy.
Source: Metro
