Sub-contractor Pay Trends October 2020
Hudson Contract: ‘Business as usual’ for construction despite national lockdown
Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indications of pay trends across the construction industry, using monthly payroll data for more than 2,500 construction companies to publish the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades now split across ten regions.
Construction activity continued to expand last month, according to the industry’s biggest payer of subcontractors.
Hudson Contract said it believed it would be “business as usual” for the majority of its clients during the second national lockdown.
The audit and payroll company made 146,700 payments to freelance tradespeople in October, an increase of 6.6 per cent on September.
Average earnings also increased month on month by 1.7 per cent to £890 per week.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson, said: “Our clients are telling us they have full order books and that demand for skilled trades continues to outstrip supply. Our clients say it will be business as usual up to Christmas in spite of the new lockdown.
“Some clients report the extension of the self-employed support scheme could encourage people to stay at home, but that the vast majority of tradespeople are working and don’t want to be sitting at home on support schemes.
“We welcome the extra clarity from ministers that construction workplaces should stay open during the next four weeks.
“They have confirmed that builders merchants and estate agents will continue to trade and tradespeople will be able to enter homes.
“There is plenty of work around. The Government has committed to a lot of infrastructure spending and new projects are being announced every day.
“Measures such as Help to Buy, the stamp duty holiday and relaxed planning laws are supporting a buoyant housebuilding sector.
“Looking to next year, the end of free movement will cause disruption but countering that is reduced demand in January and February. Construction could struggle as stimulus packages like help to buy and the stamp duty holiday come to an end around March/April.”
The best-performing regions for earnings growth last month were the East Midlands (up 8.9 per cent), the East of England (up 4 per cent) and the North East (up 1.1 per cent).
Hudson delivers the most accurate indication of subcontractor pay trends across the construction industry, publishing the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across 10 regions in England and Wales.
| Region | October 2020 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £754 | 1.1% | -3.2% |
| North West | £875 | 0.3% | 1.5% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £838 | 2.4% | -1.4% |
| East Midlands | £928 | 8.9% | -0.3% |
| West Midlands | £915 | 1.0% | -6.7% |
| Wales | £892 | 1.0% | 11.6% |
| East of England | £987 | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| London | £849 | -0.4% | -4.4% |
| South East | £927 | -1.8% | 0.8% |
| South West | £850 | 1.7% | 1.8% |
It supplies statistics to the Bank of England to keep policymakers updated with real-time insights on demand for skilled labour.
To access Hudson Contract’s Construction Pay Trends index, please click here
North East
| NORTH EAST | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £871 | £940 | £877 | £888 |
| ELECTRICAL | £774 | £739 | £1,002 | £1,015 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £541 | £699 | £635 | £735 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £669 | £640 | £624 | £686 |
| INSULATION | £795 | £807 | £1,028 | £812 |
| JOINERY | £669 | £692 | £595 | £646 |
| PLASTERING | £595 | £620 | £629 | £694 |
| ROOFING | £1,114 | £1,030 | £772 | £821 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £472 | £447 | £400 | £428 |
| SHOP FITTING | £834 | £947 | £634 | £658 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £564 | £533 | £495 | £567 |
North West
| NORTH WEST | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £776 | £753 | £718 | £737 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £815 | £819 | £764 | £789 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £692 | £741 | £730 | £795 |
| ELECTRICAL | £788 | £804 | £733 | £810 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £780 | £809 | £710 | £722 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £959 | £952 | £907 | £939 |
| INSULATION | £590 | £885 | £675 | £652 |
| JOINERY | £1,092 | £1,283 | £1,163 | £1,292 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £995 | £900 | £979 | £1,085 |
| PLASTERING | £646 | £754 | £1,078 | £1,016 |
| PLUMBING | £965 | £1,308 | £1,121 | £975 |
| ROOFING | £892 | £783 | £964 | £860 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £637 | £711 | £682 | £711 |
| SHOP FITTING | £830 | £755 | £1,110 | £998 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £787 | £866 | £777 | £816 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £558 | £608 | £771 | £422 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £876 | £889 | £841 | £952 |
Yorkshire & Humber
| YORKSHIRE & HUMBER | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £792 | £742 | £725 | £710 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £819 | £805 | £751 | £798 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £742 | £708 | £719 | £714 |
| ELECTRICAL | £981 | £983 | £895 | £1,178 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £829 | £885 | £887 | £837 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £830 | £794 | £781 | £822 |
| INSULATION | £666 | £717 | £690 | £832 |
| JOINERY | £755 | £717 | £710 | £726 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,012 | £932 | £920 | £1,079 |
| PLASTERING | £777 | £712 | £699 | £694 |
| PLUMBING | £695 | £731 | £695 | £742 |
| ROOFING | £693 | £660 | £728 | £680 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £586 | £582 | £597 | £552 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,175 | £984 | £1,456 | £1,017 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £821 | £794 | £853 | £982 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £1,099 | £1,187 | £1,170 | £1,069 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £841 | £949 | £806 | £890 |
East Midlands
| EAST MIDLANDS | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £817 | £813 | £824 | £885 |
| ELECTRICAL | £841 | £921 | £792 | £985 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £885 | £1,037 | £875 | £1,059 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £948 | £925 | £907 | £1,005 |
| INSULATION | £919 | £805 | £829 | £882 |
| JOINERY | £648 | £641 | £677 | £783 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,480 | £1,649 | £1,563 | £1,309 |
| PLASTERING | £764 | £835 | £699 | £748 |
| PLUMBING | £1,039 | £840 | £1,004 | £1,057 |
| ROOFING | £786 | £759 | £655 | £718 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £752 | £669 | £719 | £836 |
| SHOP FITTING | £763 | £690 | £1,005 | £1,092 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £801 | £734 | £755 | £826 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £898 | £790 | £1,050 | £958 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £899 | £836 | £829 | £890 |
West Midlands
| WEST MIDLANDS | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £881 | £741 | £795 | £885 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £919 | £906 | £934 | £998 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £692 | £643 | £642 | £661 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,322 | £1,430 | £1,298 | £1,207 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £873 | £750 | £819 | £872 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £872 | £848 | £803 | £891 |
| INSULATION | £849 | £894 | £775 | £878 |
| JOINERY | £1,052 | £1,098 | £1,194 | £1,303 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £795 | £865 | £1,536 | £1,518 |
| PLASTERING | £666 | £620 | £716 | £653 |
| PLUMBING | £935 | £925 | £1,041 | £890 |
| ROOFING | £588 | £544 | £475 | £563 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £696 | £670 | £606 | £634 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,749 | £1,865 | £1,503 | £1,064 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £973 | £912 | £903 | £909 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £728 | £735 | £760 | £812 |
Wales
| WALES | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £829 | £764 | £758 | £779 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,201 | £1,812 | £824 | £776 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £1,431 | £1,538 | £1,455 | £1,394 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £872 | £755 | £687 | £804 |
| JOINERY | - | - | - | - |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £462 | £489 | £766 | £685 |
| PLASTERING | £1,260 | £1,225 | £1,015 | £1,423 |
| PLUMBING | £911 | £716 | £794 | £869 |
| ROOFING | £923 | £924 | £821 | £633 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £555 | £574 | £835 | £697 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £863 | £820 | £762 | £851 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £878 | £809 | £715 | £695 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | - | - | - | - |
East of England
| EAST OF ENGLAND | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £764 | £724 | £732 | £749 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £889 | £874 | £893 | £968 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £792 | £725 | £759 | £830 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,528 | £1,462 | £1,373 | £1,439 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £893 | £947 | £953 | £945 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £894 | £893 | £922 | £937 |
| INSULATION | £915 | £898 | £865 | £901 |
| JOINERY | £1,208 | £1,305 | £1,320 | £1,336 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,028 | £1,079 | £1,123 | £1,256 |
| PLASTERING | £1,250 | £1,094 | £1,076 | £1,054 |
| PLUMBING | £1,104 | £1,085 | £1,108 | £1,122 |
| ROOFING | £862 | £769 | £760 | £802 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £801 | £721 | £783 | £817 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,356 | £1,370 | £1,485 | £1,409 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £755 | £733 | £759 | £807 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £830 | £702 | £655 | £708 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £609 | £595 | £638 | £662 |
London
| LONDON | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £789 | £787 | £797 | £830 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £808 | £814 | £829 | £851 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | - | £594 | £607 | £637 |
| ELECTRICAL | £919 | £968 | £965 | £1,006 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £601 | £817 | £722 | £563 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £958 | £951 | £958 | £952 |
| INSULATION | £784 | - | - | - |
| JOINERY | £802 | £802 | £827 | £874 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £998 | £776 | £716 | £663 |
| PLASTERING | - | - | - | - |
| PLUMBING | £1,109 | £1,175 | £1,038 | £1,092 |
| ROOFING | £884 | £851 | £748 | £774 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £896 | £853 | £880 | £913 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,114 | £1,122 | £949 | £835 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,078 | £1,012 | £1,007 | £1,070 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £816 | £738 | £534 | £583 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £600 | - | £550 | £600 |
South East
| SOUTH EAST | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £984 | £907 | £933 | £910 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £837 | £834 | £774 | £786 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £1,153 | £1,269 | £1,204 | £1,256 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,307 | £1,368 | £1,222 | £1,220 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £834 | £856 | £838 | £928 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £870 | £847 | £828 | £886 |
| INSULATION | £950 | £597 | £734 | £675 |
| JOINERY | £1,097 | £1,086 | £1,287 | £1,036 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,128 | £1,245 | £1,175 | £1,179 |
| PLASTERING | £745 | £645 | £782 | £722 |
| PLUMBING | £999 | £981 | £1,010 | £964 |
| ROOFING | £785 | £763 | £771 | £783 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £849 | £836 | £821 | £844 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,288 | £1,190 | £1,372 | £1,241 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £791 | £692 | £804 | £739 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £772 | £698 | £687 | £667 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £957 | £944 | £909 | £1,006 |
South West
| SOUTH WEST | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | - | - | - | £600 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £774 | £790 | £789 | £794 |
| ELECTRICAL | £779 | £788 | £929 | £882 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | - | - | - | - |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £910 | £870 | £864 | £864 |
| INSULATION | £1,455 | £1,222 | £1,185 | £1,406 |
| JOINERY | £983 | £1,012 | £997 | £936 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £712 | £683 | £711 | £706 |
| PLASTERING | £904 | £596 | £681 | £832 |
| PLUMBING | £1,702 | £465 | £1,333 | £1,052 |
| ROOFING | £720 | £765 | £738 | £794 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | - | £1,135 | £811 | £802 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £812 | £1,027 | £777 | £763 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £614 | £619 | £578 | £608 |