of today’ s worker due to retire wit
PLANNING & DESIGN
Construction firms on both sides of the Atlantic are running short of the people needed to build.
In the US, the industry needs roughly 349,000 net new workers in 2026 alone, according to Associated Builders and Contractors( ABC), while the UK’ s Construction Industry Training Board( CITB) puts the annual shortfall at 41,200 workers to 2030.
The gap is no longer a future risk; it is already reshaping how projects are scheduled, staffed and delivered. Industry leaders say the strain is now visible in crew rotations, project timelines and the wellbeing of the workers left holding the gap.
40 %
of today’ s worker due to retire wit
10 years
A widening skills gap The scale of the shortage is difficult to overstate. The Associated General Contractors of America found that 92 % of construction firms are struggling to hire qualified hourly craft workers. Meanwhile, ABC estimates the sector will need 456,000 additional workers in 2027, rising to around 1.9 million over the next decade.
Much of that demand stems from an ageing workforce. The average US construction worker is now 42.5-years-old, says the US’ National Association of Home Builders.
ABC has found that only 16 % of the workforce is under 35, and the National Center for Construction Education & Research shows that over 40 % of today’ s workers are expected to retire within 10 years.
86 October 2026