Why 92% of Construction Employers Can't Fill Their Roles, And What It Means for You
By Onboard Jobs on - 8 minute read time
The UK construction sector is facing a recruitment problem, but the widely reported 92% figure does not mean that there are no candidates.
It points to a mismatch between what employers need and what many applicants can currently demonstrate. Employers want specific project experience, relevant qualifications and a site-ready attitude. Candidates may have transferable skills, training or motivation, but still struggle to show that they can contribute safely and effectively from their first day on site.
That distinction matters. It changes how you should approach construction recruitment, whether you are looking for your next role or trying to fill a vacancy.
> Data note: The figures in this article are attributed estimates and should be checked against the latest publications from CITB, the Office for National Statistics, Skills England and the UK Government.
What does the 92% construction skills shortage figure actually mean?
Around 92% of construction employers report skills gaps or difficulty recruiting, according to widely reported sector data. A separate estimate suggests that around 70% of employers still intend to recruit over the next year.
At first, these figures appear contradictory. If employers cannot find suitable people, why are they continuing to hire?
The answer is that demand remains, but the available workforce does not always match the requirements of individual projects and roles.
The mismatch can involve:
- Specific trade or technical skills
- Relevant project experience
- Formal qualifications or cards
- Knowledge of site procedures and health and safety
- Willingness to travel or work changing shifts
- Understanding of commercial, contractual or reporting requirements
- Communication, reliability and readiness to work as part of a site team
CITB’s Industry Picture 2026 identifies four connected pressures:
- Fewer people are available to the industry.
- Demand for construction skills is growing faster than supply.
- Too many workers leave the industry too soon.
- Productivity is not increasing quickly enough to offset workforce shortages.
This is why the construction skills shortage should not be interpreted simply as a shortage of people. It is also a shortage of the right experience, in the right location, at the right time.
Why are construction vacancies difficult to fill?
Employers are sometimes asking for too much
A vacancy can become difficult to fill when every desirable quality is listed as essential. For example, an employer may request extensive experience on a particular project type, multiple tickets, supervisory experience, a specific software background and immediate availability.
Some of those requirements may be justified. Others may unnecessarily exclude people who could become effective employees with suitable support.
Common employer-side barriers include:
- Over-specified essential criteria
- Unrealistic expectations of site-ready experience
- Slow application and interview processes
- Pay that does not reflect the responsibilities or travel involved
- Limited flexibility around working patterns
- Locations that are difficult to reach without clear travel information
- Job adverts that do not explain the project type, shift pattern, contract or expected duration
A candidate cannot make an informed decision if an advert only states a job title and a location. Employers should explain what the role involves and what the successful applicant must demonstrate.
Candidates may not know how to present their readiness
There are also practical barriers on the candidate side.
A person may have completed training but not understand how to connect it to an actual construction job. A career changer may have strong planning, logistics, engineering or leadership experience but fail to explain how those skills apply on site. Another candidate may have the right experience but omit cards, tickets, project details or responsibilities from their CV.
Training and career-entry routes also do not always connect clearly to genuine site-based work. A qualification may be valuable, but employers still need evidence that an applicant understands site expectations, communicates effectively and can work safely within a team.
What does this mean for the construction industry in 2026?
The short-term project picture is uneven. Construction starts have been subdued in parts of 2026, while contract awards, major frameworks and the longer-term project pipeline continue to point towards future demand.
This creates an important distinction:
Short-term project timing affects when employers need people immediately.
Long-term workforce demand affects how many people the industry must attract, train and retain over several years.
A project may be delayed by planning, financing, procurement or affordability issues. That does not remove the underlying need for workers when the project proceeds, or the need to replace people leaving the industry.
CITB estimates that construction will need approximately 206,000 additional workers between 2026 and 2030 to support demand and replace workers leaving the sector. This is a forward-looking workforce requirement, not a count of current construction vacancies.
The Government is also preparing a Construction Jobs Plan, expected later in 2026. Its precise content and publication date should not be assumed before the plan is released. It is expected to sit alongside existing measures, including the £625 million Construction Skills Package, which covers initiatives such as Skills Bootcamps, technical colleges and adult retraining.
These measures will only work if training connects to employers offering real opportunities, and if employers are willing to consider candidates with potential rather than relying exclusively on fully experienced applicants.
What it means for candidates looking for construction jobs UK
The recruitment market is challenging, but there are still opportunities across a range of role types.
Demand continues to be relevant for:
- Site supervision and management
- Quantity surveying and commercial roles
- Civil and site engineering
- Electrical and mechanical trades
- Groundwork
- Plant operations
- Specialist trades and technical roles
To improve your chances, make your CV and applications easier to assess.
Show evidence, not just job titles
For each relevant role, explain:
- The project type and approximate scale
- Your specific responsibilities
- The site environment and work activities
- Relevant plant, systems or software
- Qualifications, cards and tickets
- Health and safety responsibilities
- The teams, subcontractors or stakeholders you worked with
- Measurable outcomes where they are accurate and relevant
If you are changing career, identify transferable experience in practical terms. Planning, logistics, engineering, facilities management, warehouse coordination and team leadership may all be relevant if you explain how they apply to construction work.
You should also demonstrate a site-ready attitude. Be clear about your availability, willingness to travel, understanding of site rules and approach to safety, reliability and communication.
Search more precisely
OnBoard Jobs is dedicated exclusively to UK construction and engineering roles, with no dilution from other industries. When searching for construction vacancies, use the available filters to refine results:
- Any keyword matching for a wider search
- All keyword matching when every term matters
- Exact keyword matching for a precise job title or skill
- A location radius from your current location up to 75 miles
- The option to exclude work-from-home roles when you need site-based employment
You can also register with OnBoard Jobs to upload your CV, manage your profile and set up tailored job alerts.
What it means for construction employers
If your vacancy is attracting too few suitable applicants, review the advert before concluding that candidates are unavailable.
Start by separating essential requirements from desirable experience. Then provide enough information for candidates to decide whether the role is suitable.
You should also review:
- Pay against the responsibilities, travel and local market
- Opportunities for flexibility where the project allows it
- Whether adjacent experience could transfer successfully
- Whether the advert clearly identifies cards, tickets and qualifications
- Whether the application process is proportionate
- How quickly hiring managers review and respond to applicants
A clearer advert widens the applicant pool without lowering standards. It allows candidates to self-select more accurately and gives employers a better basis for assessing transferable experience.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the 92% figure actually mean?
It refers to around 92% of construction employers reporting skills gaps or difficulty recruiting. It does not mean that 92% of vacancies are unfillable or that there are no candidates. The figure describes a broad recruitment and workforce challenge, where employers may struggle to find people with the precise experience, qualifications and availability required.
Why cannot employers fill construction roles?
The main reasons include a shortage of experienced workers, gaps between training and site competence, unclear career-entry routes, location and travel barriers, pay or shift misalignment, over-specified job adverts and slow recruitment processes. Both employer expectations and candidate preparation contribute to the mismatch.
How many workers does UK construction need by 2030?
CITB estimates that the industry needs approximately 206,000 additional workers between 2026 and 2030. This includes workers needed to support future demand and replace people leaving the sector. It is not the same as the number of live vacancies.
What is the Construction Jobs Plan?
The Construction Jobs Plan is a Government workforce plan expected later in 2026. Its final content and publication date should be confirmed through official Government and Skills England publications. It is expected to address construction recruitment, skills, training and workforce capacity alongside the existing £625 million Construction Skills Package.