The Pay Has Risen. So Why Are Skilled Trades Still Leaving?

Construction pay has climbed steadily in both the UK and the US, yet contractors are still struggling to keep skilled people. Wages alone are not fixing the problem. Workers are looking for stability, recognition, safety, and real career growth.

In this article, Jamie Trevett explores what the latest data reveals about wages and exits, why people continue to leave, how culture drives retention, and what tradespeople can look for if they want careers that last longer than a single project.

What The Numbers Say

Wages are rising. Retention is not.

In the UK, pay in construction continues to edge upward. The Office for National Statistics confirms a long-run climb in average weekly earnings. Independent analysis from BCIS also shows a 4.1 percent year-on-year increase to August 2025: steady progress, though still in line with general wage growth.

In the US, the picture is similar. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that average hourly earnings for construction workers reached roughly forty dollars by August 2025, according to the FRED series CES2000000003. On paper, that should help retention. In practice, openings and replacement demand remain high.

Workforce demand is the pressure point. The UK’s Construction Industry Training Board forecasts sustained hiring needs through the rest of the decade, outlining how many people must be recruited to meet planned activity. In the US, Associated Builders and Contractors estimate that hundreds of thousands of additional workers are needed on top of normal hiring to meet demand.



Mobility also remains elevated. The BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Table 4 shows the US quits rate for construction hovering around two percent through 2025, a signal that many workers still feel able to move when conditions are not right. Pay is up. Openings are up. Replacement demand is real. Retention is not solved by wage growth alone.

Why People Leave

For most tradespeople, pay is only one piece of the puzzle. The real reasons people walk away have more to do with progression, burnout, and stability than the payslip at the end of the month.

Progression often feels unclear:
Many workers cannot see a defined path from today’s job to tomorrow’s role. Without visible ladders, a higher hourly rate becomes a short-term fix rather than a reason to stay. Across sectors, data shows that leadership, recognition, and growth opportunities weigh as heavily as pay in decisions to leave.

Health and fatigue matter:
The Health and Safety Executive reports that stress, depression, and anxiety caused hundreds of thousands of cases of work-related ill health in 2023–24, leading to millions of lost working days. Poor planning, long hours, and constant travel erode wellbeing faster than a pay rise can repair it.

Mental health is also a critical warning sign in the US. Research from the Center for Construction Research and Training and the CDC’s MMWR on suicide by occupation shows suicide rates among construction workers remain roughly twice the national average. That is a culture and stability problem before it is a pay problem.

Instability is expensive:
When project pipelines stall or hours fluctuate without warning, families feel the impact first. Increasingly, workers are trading slightly lower rates for steady rotas, shorter commutes, or predictable schedules. It’s a rational choice, not an emotional one.

The Culture Gap

Retention is a leadership outcome. People define culture through their daily experience: how shifts are planned, how overtime is handled, and how communication works. If those basics are missing, higher pay cannot fill the gap.

Safety culture plays a major role. The HSE data shows stress and musculoskeletal disorders account for most days lost in UK construction. When safety is treated as people-first instead of paperwork-first, trust and productivity both rise.

In the US, the CPWR emphasises that credible mental-health support is now essential for workforce stability.

Recognition must go beyond words. A thank-you matters, but structure matters more. Funding certifications, assigning named responsibility on new work, or rotating staff to reduce travel are practical signals of respect.



The best contractors make progression transparent. They publish pay bands tied to skills, define routes for advancement, and budget for training. That aligns with the CITB Workforce Outlook and mirrors what US firms are doing to keep talent in a competitive market.

How Tradespeople Can Find Roles That Last

When you’re planning your next move, the strongest indicator of a good employer isn’t the pay rate, it’s how they handle the details that shape your week.

Look past the rate to the rhythm:
Ask how hours are scheduled, how often rotas change, and whether travel is planned in advance. Benchmark offers against official data from the ONS or BLS, but value predictability as much as pay.

Check the pipeline, not just the project:
Good employers share forward workloads and explain how they redeploy crews between jobs. In the US, that often means exposure to infrastructure programmes. In the UK, it usually means multi-year frameworks tied to local or national projects. The CITB 2025–29 Outlook reinforces how long-term planning improves retention.

Prioritise employers who invest in training:
Ask what they will fund over the next six months. The CITB highlights rising demand for multi-skilled workers who can work across disciplines and technologies.

Assess culture before you sign:
Talk to current staff. Read recent reviews. Look for signs that safety and mental health are treated seriously. Both the HSE and CDC data make clear what happens when they’re not.

Ask about progression in plain terms:
What comes after this role. What training or cards are required. What’s the usual timeframe for promotion. If the answers are vague, assume development isn’t a priority.

Consider flexibility with structure:
Some contractors offer steady flow across multiple projects with one point of contact. When done well, it provides continuity and security without constant re-applications.

Final Take

Wages matter, and always will. But pay alone cannot hold people in this industry. Retention lives in the details: the plan, the communication, the opportunity, the sense of belonging.

The best construction jobs are built on predictability, progression, and leadership that values people as much as productivity.

If you’re weighing your next move, look for employers who show you their pipeline, invest in your skills, and treat safety and wellbeing as part of the job.



The best roles build more than paychecks. They build careers.