Construction
Construction Occupations
Employment growth was below average in construction-related occupations with an increase of just 12,000 persons employed between 2018 and 2023. Employment growth slowed or declined across these occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many roles only seeing employment numbers returning to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022. Almost all persons employed were male with the majority of those employed in full-time roles.
The demand and supply of construction related skills is affected by a range of factors. Government plans alone are likely to see demand increasing in order to deliver on housing and climate action targets. The demand for construction-related skills will also be impacted by the potential demands of non-residential building as well as infrastructure projects (e.g. Project Ireland 2040). In addition, the nature of the skills mix required for construction-related jobs is changing: modern methods of construction may require less on-site labour and may go some way to mitigate issues with supply of skills by relying more on off-site manufacturing processes. These new methods, along with the transition to a zero-carbon economy, will have significant implications for construction-related skills, with a changing skills mix for a range of existing occupations (e.g. civil engineers, plumbers, roofers, glaziers, etc) likely to require considerable levels of upskilling/reskilling.
Skills shortages:
Civil engineers & construction project managers
Quantity surveyors
Potential future skills shortages:
Plumbers
Carpenters