Self-employed plumbers saw their earnings fall during June as building sites closed for the national Platinum Jubilee celebrations, according to Hudson Contract.
Analysis shows average earnings of £1,036 during June, a decrease of 2.7% month on month. Year on year, earnings increased by 12.6% compared to June 2021.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Earnings for plumbing contractors slipped back in June after they took a couple of extra days off to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with their friends and family. Sectors like tourism, leisure, retail and hospitality will have benefited from the bank holidays but there were hidden costs for construction, as our analysis suggests.
“More generally, market conditions are levelling off. Some of the housebuilders are reporting fewer completions and will slow down their activity if they are not making the same margins. Anecdotally, smaller clients are saying residential customers are thinking again about home improvement projects because of costs. Insulation is twice the price it was a year ago. Timber prices have relented but are still at record highs. Fewer merchants are discounting because they know builders are desperate for materials.”
Hudson Contract delivers subcontractor pay trends across the construction industry, publishing the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across 10 regions in England and Wales. It supplies statistics to the Bank of England to keep policymakers updated with real-time insights on demand for skilled labour.