The UK’s vote to leave the EU has pushed construction wages up 11%, according to data released yesterday by Engage Technology Partners.

In an analysis of pay trends following the referendum in 2016, the staffing software supplier found that wages are on an upward trajectory in the industry as firms look to reduce a long-standing reliance on international talent.

According to the data, in the period 2016 to 2018, crawler crane operators have seen the greatest pay increase at 54%; wages rose 34% for electrical testers and 22% for steel fixers.

A Chartered Institute of Building report on the potential impact of Brexit on the industry highlighted the sheer extent of reliance on international staff, with some locations such as London reporting that over half of the construction workforce consists of migrant workers, according to Engage Director Drey Francis. “While there’s certainly no agreement on the terms of our exit, the impact on the industry is already being noted — and we can expect to see wages rise further in the near future as talent demands continue to stretch,” he said.