Building boom creates 667,000 jobs for tradesmen

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Thousands of jobs were created in England alone last year as a result of a surge in house-building activity, according to the findings of a new report.

Between 2014 and 2015, some 170,690 properties were added to the housing stock, representing an unprecedented increase of 25% on the figures from the 2013-2014 period.

This building boom supported the creation of 106,000 jobs, either in construction firms themselves or in the wider supply chain.

The research, published by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in its Building Communities, Boosting Employment report, shows there are now some 667,000 people in work as a result of house-building.

According to the analysis, London saw the largest number of new jobs created, having jumped by more than 10,000 in 2014/2015 to reach 103,673 overall.

Greater Manchester experienced the second biggest rise in jobs created by house-building, with just under 5,500 positions created over the last two years.

Essex completed the top three areas for house-building job creation, after the total number of workers hired there rose by 5,031 to reach a total of 17,329.

This rapid increase in the employment figures is in stark contrast to the data between 2008 and 2010, when a drop in house-building output meant the industry lost many skilled workers.

The report, which is based on an examination of official figures and previous HBF analysis, suggests the housing sector is now flourishing, meaning it can step up its efforts in training and recruitment.

It attributes the surge in house-building activity in part to government initiatives such as the National Planning Policy Framework and the Help to Buy loan scheme.

New-builds made up the biggest chunk of the new housing stock, while changes of use and conversions had an impact too.

Stewart Baseley, chairman of the HBF, said: “The house building industry has increased its output at the steepest rate for decades. Delivering the high quality homes we desperately need is also providing a huge boost to economies across the country.

“The industry is recruiting and training tens of thousands of new people to ensure it can continue to deliver significant sustainable increases in supply and provide the high quality homes the country needs.”