HOW DOES LABOUR SHORTAGE IMPACTS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY_

1. HOW DOES LABOUR SHORTAGE IMPACTS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? Compared to other industries, the construction industry needs the highest number of labourers. Even for a small project, a team of at least 10 members is required. And it’s because the construction process includes different stages and steps. Also, every stage of the construction process is different from one another, requiring experts for the same. The construction industry is in dire need of labourers to complete the project in less time with quality. But, the thing is it often suffers from a severe labour shortage. Construction contractors are unable to get good numbers of workers, impacting their workflow and project completion timeline. Not only this, many problems come along because of labour shortages on the construction sites. The problems are: The lack of skilled workers on the construction sites extends the completion time of the structure. Sometimes, the project gets cancelled, especially when the client is looking for quick completion. To retain the existing employees, the contractors have to optimize their construction schedules by offering overtime hours to them. This benefits the existing employees but the thing is that even they cannot work beyond a limit, no matter how much they are paid. Overpaying impacts the overall budget of the contractor to complete a project and it’s not possible to pay overtime to the employees regularly.

2. Due to scarcity of the labourers and to meet the increasing demand, the contractors have to hire lesser-skilled workers. This is a cost-effective step for the contractors because less-skilled labourers charge less than skilled labourers but a risky endeavor. Less-skilled labourers don’t adhere to the safety regulations or work following the given guidelines, leading to life-threatening mistakes. Sometimes, even non-life-threatening mistakes on construction sites become a great concern because they cost a huge amount. What should you do to overcome the labour shortage on your construction site? As a construction contractor, you cannot afford to lose any project. Other reasons like cost, material quality, design etc. can be handled by communicating with your client. You can make these changes on spot and show the improved result to your clients. But, you cannot do this if there is a labour shortage. You should think about the same and build a strong team before signing the agreement for the project. First, you should incorporate technology in your construction project. Other than the primary construction stage, you should use technology for quick and quality delivery. Just keep in mind that finishing touches on the construction site cannot be done without humans. Second, you should look for a recruitment agency for frequent trade and labour supply in London for your construction project. Make sure you connect with a recruitment agency that specializes in construction recruitment. With this, you will get specialized candidates with all the construction skills.