{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change location {{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationStrong home building activity highlights ongoing demand for skilled trades
Strong home building activity highlights ongoing demand for skilled trades
Member and guest login
Enter your email and password to access secured content, members only resources and discount prices.
Did you become a member online? If not, you will need to activate your account to login.
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Forgotten password
Need some help?
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
If the email address you have entered is registered, you will receive an email with further instructions.
Become part of the HIA community
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
Create a guest account
Enter your details below and create a login
Send me exclusive tips, early access to new launches, and special offers. I can change my mind at any time.
By clicking Get started now you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
“The HIA Trades Report released today provides a quarterly assessment of skilled labour availability in residential construction, as well as demand pressures identified through a survey of home builders.
“Despite rising interest rates and global turmoil, home building activity picked up in the March quarter of 2026, placing renewed pressure on an already constrained skilled workforce,” added Mr Devitt.
“The HIA Trades Availability Index recorded -0.62 in the March quarter 2026, representing a deterioration in availability on top of the structural shortage of skilled trades that Australia was already experiencing.
“Higher interest rates and recent overseas events have yet to materially impact the pool of work under construction.
“These headwinds are expected to gradually weigh on demand but not derail the ongoing recovery.
“Even a modest lift in construction activity can quickly expose underlying structural labour constraints.
“Strong population growth and tight rental markets are expected to sustain demand for new housing and renovations, while low levels of unemployment mean home building continues to compete with other sectors for access to both skilled and unskilled labour.
“Public infrastructure continues to draw skilled trades away from the private sector and will increasingly do so heading into the Brisbane Olympics.
“The current environment highlights the inability of local labour supply to adjust quickly enough.
“Combined demand from private housing and public infrastructure is therefore likely to keep capacity constrained, further reinforcing the need for skilled migration and domestic workforce development, including increased support for apprentices,” concluded Mr Devitt.
Regional Victoria (-0.28) saw the most modest shortage of skilled trades in the March quarter 2026, as all markets excluding Brisbane and regional Queensland recorded deteriorations in the Index. This was followed by Sydney (-0.49), regional New South Wales (-0.52), Melbourne (-0.57) and regional South Australia (-0.59). More acute shortages persist in regional Queensland (-0.74), Brisbane (-0.83), Perth (-1.15), Adelaide (-1.33) and regional Western Australia (-1.54).
By trade, the most acute shortages remain in bricklaying (-1.36), followed by ceramic tiling (-1.03), roofing (-0.93) and carpentry (-0.90). Electrical was the only trade in ‘surplus’ with a reading of +0.03.
Donwload our latest HIA Trades Report
For more information please contact:
Preventing Pipe Failure Starts Below Ground
The HIA has been advised that due to an increase of plumbing audit inspection failures, from the 1st of September, the Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) will be further policing non-compliance in the installation of sanitary plumbing and drainage pipework, namely the bedding of sanitary drainage pipes.
Senate Inquiry must focus on delivering more housing, not more reports
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the establishment of the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into social housing, describing it as an important opportunity to identify the reforms needed to deliver more housing of all forms at scale and address the bottlenecks holding back housing supply broadly.
New home sales decline for the third consecutive month
“Sales of new homes declined for a third consecutive month in July, falling by 3.7 per cent as higher interest rates and policy uncertainty continued to weigh on consumer confidence,” stated HIA Senior Economist, Tom Devitt.
National Skills Week: Showcasing diverse education pathways
HIA is proudly supporting National Skills Week this year by highlighting the construction industry’s many and diverse career opportunities.