- 14 Nov, 2025
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Construction sector needs extra 300,000 workers to build roads, homes and energy sites
A new analysis indicates that Australia’s construction sector is heading toward a severe labour shortage, with an estimated deficit of around 300,000 skilled workers expected by the middle of 2027. The findings, released by Infrastructure Australia, suggest that current gaps in the workforce—already sitting at roughly 141,000 positions—will intensify as large-scale housing, transport and renewable-energy developments accelerate.
The report compared the unprecedented volume of planned infrastructure—worth more than a trillion dollars in combined public and private investment—with the nation’s capacity to supply qualified workers and essential materials.
Infrastructure Australia’s chief executive, Adam Copp, warned that the industry is being pushed to achieve more at a time when labour capacity is tightening. He noted that governments are expanding efforts in energy transmission upgrades and new housing initiatives while still delivering major transport projects essential for Australia’s long-term growth and quality of life.
According to Copp, sluggish productivity and persistent labour shortages pose a major threat to the timely delivery of these projects. Regional communities may feel the strain most acutely, with parts of New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland expected to see public infrastructure spending increase by at least 200 percent.
Over the next half-decade, approximately $163 billion is earmarked for new transmission networks and a suite of renewable-energy developments, including solar farms, wind projects and pumped-hydro systems. Copp described this wave of investment as a rare opportunity for regional economies—provided that the industry can modernise and overcome decades of stagnant productivity.
He emphasized that boosting efficiency will be essential: the sector will have to find ways to “achieve more with fewer available workers.”