The increased demand for construction workers in May in the UK highlights a worsening skills shortage that continues to impact the sector, according to construction and recruitment specialist One Way.

The analysis by One Way revealed that the growth in the number of newly created construction jobs is particularly concerning by the fact that rising job vacancies come at a time when industry output has slumped to a three-year low

The analysis follows a recent survey by the REC that shows demand for construction workers growing.

“On paper a rise in job vacancies should be great news for us, but when you consider the bigger picture it only highlights the growing skills shortages that the industry faces,” Managing Director of One Way Paul Payne, said. “Job vacancies have risen because there simply aren’t enough professionals to meet the demand, and that’s at a time when output is at a three-year low. Imagine what the situation will be like when we get over the Brexit uncertainty and look to raise productivity once again.”

“We’ve been banging the same drum for some time now, but something needs to be done before we hit a wall and projects have to be put on hold because of skills shortages. The issue is a ticking time bomb and unless something drastic is done soon, the industry could be in big trouble. That’s not to mention what could potentially happen if we were to leave the EU and talent pipelines from across Europe were affected. Obviously this is great news for current construction professionals who are likely to pick which projects they want to work on, and what they’ll be paid, but for the industry as a whole it’s a real worry.”