Updated
Updated · building.co.uk · Aug 21
London Ranks Last Among 11 UK Regions for Tradespeople as Housing Costs Outweigh Top Pay
Updated
Updated · building.co.uk · Aug 21

London Ranks Last Among 11 UK Regions for Tradespeople as Housing Costs Outweigh Top Pay

2 articles · Updated · building.co.uk · Aug 21

Summary

  • London finished last in a new UK Tradespeople Hotspots Index that compared 11 regions across seven construction trades using eight measures including pay, job growth and affordability.
  • Highest wages in five of the seven trades were not enough to offset the capital’s housing costs, living expenses and insurance premiums relative to earnings.
  • Construction supervisor employment in London fell 64.5% over three years even as the role paid the country’s top weekly wage of about £975.30.
  • The North East ranked most consistently well across trades, underscoring the report’s finding that slightly lower pay can still deliver better living standards and stronger long-term demand.

Insights

If London pays tradespeople the highest wages, why are so many fleeing the capital for the North East?
What happens to a megacity's infrastructure when its essential tradespeople can no longer afford to work there?