FUTURE-PROOFING CONSTRUCTION: A WORKFORCE BLUEPRINT

April 2023

Introduction

The Australian workforce is facing critical shortages across industries and skill levels, hindering economic recovery and productivity growth. Attracting enough people to meet the demands of the coming decades is a major challenge, but policies around training and education, industrial relations, workforce development, and skilled migration offer opportunities to build a more productive labour force.

Construction is the backbone of the Australian economy – everyone needs a roof over their head, infrastructure to get around, and commercial and community buildings to live their lives. With Australia’s population projected to grow by over 50 per cent between 2022 and 2060, to reach nearly 40 million people, there will be a lot of building and construction work that needs to be undertaken and a significant workforce that will be needed to do this work.

Approximately 1.3 million people work in Australia’s building and construction workforce.

Master Builders estimates that workforce growth and replacement in the four years to November 2026 will mean the industry needs to attract around half a million workers.

Ensuring our industry has the workers it needs for the significant task ahead means we need to attract new workers and we need to retain our current and emerging workforce. This paper outlines the workers and businesses of Australia’s building and construction industry, what we will need in the coming years, and policy priorities for attracting, recruiting, and retaining workers for our industry.