Construction to shed 45,000 jobs in 2012

Construction output will fall 3% this year with the loss of 45,000 jobs across the sector, according to the latest forecast by CITB-ConstructionSkills.

The skills body predicts the industry will return to growth from 2013-16, but at an average rate of just 1.6%.

Sluggish growth will lead to construction output in 2016 that is nearly 5% below its pre-recession 2007 peak.

The results were released this week as part of the skills body’s bi-annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) survey.

The results are drawn from meetings with employers and regional stakeholders across the UK.

The CSN survey forecasts construction employment overall will rise by a little over 76,000 by 2016 to just below 2.6 million, which is nearly 5% below its 2008 peak.

There will be a shift from more manual trades to more modern methods of construction and off-site manufacturing, with the greatest growth in demand predicted to be for construction managers – up 30,000 by 2016 on 2010 figures.

Judy Lowe, deputy chairman of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said the survey showed the indistry was “in for a tough time”.

“Infrastructure investment, the first nuclear power plants and the revival of private housing will help, but the hard fact remains that despite an increase in growth from 2013 onwards, output and employment levels in construction will not have reached their 2007-8 levels by the end of the forecast in 2016,” she said.