Self-employed electricians earned record weekly earnings last year, according to the biggest payroll in the UK construction industry. Their average pay during 2022 was £1,105, which was 2.1 per cent higher than 2021, said Hudson Contract.
The highest-earning month for electrical subcontractors was November 2022 when they were paid £1,199 per week in the run up to the end of the calendar year. January 2022 was the lowest at £985, in keeping with the seasonal slow start to the new year.
Managing director Ian Anfield said: “Our figures show the consistently strong earning potential for people who are prepared to put in the time and effort to pick up the skills needed to succeed in the electrical trade.”
Commenting on the wider construction industry, Mr Anfield added: “During the last calendar year, our clients have been telling us that tender opportunities are slowing down but they have full order books, which they are struggling to fulfil.
“The labour market is still feeling the effects of former chancellor Rishi Sunak’s coronavirus support schemes, which paid people a lot of money to sit at home. At the same time, huge infrastructure schemes like Hinkley Point and HS2 entered new phases and created extra demand for skilled labour.
“Housebuilders pushed ahead to get homes out of the ground before big changes to building regulations in summer 2022 and consumers have been spending savings built up during lockdowns on home improvement projects.
“With Brexit, we have said the impact would be felt gradually over time and now we are seeing the supply of skilled tradespeople from Europe wither on the vine. Europeans would always come here to work and then go home again but now nobody is replacing them. The routes for working visas are not practical for most construction companies and smaller businesses.
“These are the forces driving up labour rates. They are creating plenty of opportunities for the self-employed to earn a handsome living as the most productive and flexible part of the labour market.”
For more information about Hudson Contract, click here
