Hudson contract pay data reveals a blip in January earnings

“but nothing to worry about”

The average self-employed construction worker earned £829 a week in January – down sharply from December’s high of £932.  Appearances, however, can be deceptive, with year-on-year earnings up by 6.27% and well above inflation.

“On the face of it, a drop of £103 per week in January earnings compared to December could be seen as disappointing” Hudson Contract Managing Director Ian Anfield comments. “But in fact, it’s nothing more than a predictable seasonal trend.”

“And whilst the commentators are blaming everything on the Brexit deadlock for a drop in activity (including the Construction Purchasing Managers in their IHS Markit/CIPS UK survey), they are only partly correct. As it stands at the moment, our clients – the SMEs of the industry – are far more concerned about the fallout from Carillion and fears that other big names in construction will follow suit, dragging down smaller firms with them.”

“As for January, short working weeks, time off and to a certain extent weather are all factors that come into play for construction at the start of the year,” Ian Anfield explains.  “Hudson Contract’s unique CIS payroll processing figures indicate that whilst the traditional across-the-board Christmas shutdown happens less than it used to, many clients and their sub-contractors take the opportunity to enjoy a well-earned break and it takes until the end of January for everyone to get back into full swing.  I’m confident the earnings and activity pendulum will swing back the other way next month, and our clients remain upbeat about the year ahead.”

To access Hudson Contract’s Pay Trends, using CIS payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies, visit: www.hudsoncontract.co.uk