The construction sector workforce in the East of England needs to grow by more than 4,100 a year to meet demand, a report has revealed.
The latest Construction Workforce Outlook 2026-2030 report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) shows that nationally, the construction sector needs to find an extra 206,000 workers within the next five years.
In the East of England, 4,140 extra workers are required per year, approximately 1.8% of the total 2025 workforce – which is slightly higher than the national average of 1.6% – reflecting the higher growth rate for the region.
The report shows the East of England saw strong growth in 2024 at 14.7%, followed by further growth of 6.6% in 2025.
It means the total construction output in the next five years is expected to reach almost £27.2bn.
Tim Balcon, CITB CEO, said: “Our latest Construction Workforce Outlook highlights where construction skills demand is expected to grow, offering the evidence needed to guide workforce and skills planning in a period of significant opportunity and challenge.
“The construction industry is faced with balancing short-term business uncertainty while ensuring there are enough skilled workers to meet the expected demand for longer-term opportunities.
“Together, alongside government and industry stakeholders, we can ensure the construction industry is equipped to deliver for the UK’s future.”
The CITB report shows that the 2024 workforce of 233,640 in the East of England rose slightly to 236,290 in 2025 and is expected to steadily increase to 245,050 by 2030.
It also reveals the region has particular demand for occupations such as civil engineers (3.1% of 2025 workforce), construction trades supervisors (2.6%), and plant mechanics/fitters (2.4%).
However, demand will be there across all construction occupations, from managers and supervisors through to office-based staff.
Mark Farmer, member of the Construction Skills Mission Board and Construction Leadership Council, said: “The latest Construction Workforce Outlook published by CITB indicates that despite the industry currently grappling with challenging economic conditions, longer-term needs to replenish and sustainably grow the workforce remain.
“Bridging the gap between current capacity to employ and train and the imperative to build a future-ready workforce remains the central challenge.”
