The UK Construction Market: Plenty of Work — But More Candidates Required

There is an interesting contradiction developing in the UK construction and civil engineering market.

On one hand, there is a substantial pipeline of work. On the other, finding the people with the experience to deliver it is becoming increasingly difficult.

The Government's latest Infrastructure Pipeline identifies 734 planned projects representing £718 billion of public and private investment over the next decade. The programme covers everything from transport and energy to hospitals, schools, reservoirs and renewable energy projects.

The challenge is not simply finding enough people to fill vacancies. It is finding the right people with the experience required to lead, manage and deliver increasingly complex projects.

That distinction matters.

A company can often recruit for a vacancy. It is considerably harder to recruit someone who has already delivered projects of a particular scale, managed difficult stakeholders, developed a high-performing team and understands the commercial realities of the sector.

This is particularly relevant in civil engineering and infrastructure, where experience tends to be cumulative. A strong project manager, commercial manager, quantity surveyor, contracts manager or engineering professional does not become highly valuable simply because they have accumulated another year on their CV. Their value comes from the projects they have delivered, the problems they have solved and the judgement they have developed.

The numbers suggest that this pressure is unlikely to disappear quickly.

Skills England estimates that employment in 30 priority construction occupations could grow by 493,000 between 2025 and 2035. At the same time, around 595,000 workers in those occupations are expected to leave and will need to be replaced.

For employers, that makes retention and recruitment increasingly strategic rather than simply operational.

For professionals, it creates an interesting opportunity.

People with strong experience, particularly those who have developed specialist expertise or have worked on major projects, may find that their skills are more valuable than they realise.

The important question, however, is not simply whether another company will pay more.

It is whether the next move represents a genuine advancement — in responsibility, quality of work, long-term prospects, remuneration or the opportunity to work with a better organisation.

That is where an informed and confidential conversation can be useful.

The construction market is likely to remain competitive for talent. The companies that recognise this early will be better placed to secure the people they need.

And the professionals who understand their own market value will be better placed to make the right career decisions.