A new interactive pay trends index has revealed self-employed tradesmen in Wales are benefiting from a year-on-year increase in earnings compared with colleagues in England.

The 'Construction Pay Trends' index, developed by Hudson Contract, shows that Welsh workers have experienced a 5.3% rise year-on-year in their wages, compared to 1.8% nationally across England.

The index harnesses payroll data from over 2,000 building firms across England and Wales. It reveals weekly pay differences by region, age and sub sectors, such as bricklaying and joinery through to roofing and surfacing contractors.

The North East saw the biggest drop in average weekly pay, a 2.1% decrease in earnings year-to-date in 2016 compared to 2015. In addition, London experienced a 0.4% decline.


Overall, wages in the roofing industry rose 6.2%, followed by 4.8% in Plastering and 4.2% in Scaffolding.

Those working in the Equipment and Operator Hire industry witnessed a 4.1% average drop in earnings year-to-date in 2016 compared with last year, followed by a notable yearly pay decrease of 1% in Bricklaying and only a 1.1% average increase in earnings for Civil Engineering tradesmen.

Ian Anfield, Managing Director at Hudson Contract, said: "We've developed the Construction Pay Trends index to provide the most comprehensive insight into pay levels across the industry. It has revealed some fascinating trends on both a national and regional level, with tradesman in Wales experiencing the sharpest annual growth in earnings.

"The index will update monthly to reveal the latest pay trends – providing the perfect online career resource for building apprentices through to industry analysts assessing the ongoing health of the construction sector."

To access the index, visit here.

(LM)