Labour Demand Estimates for Ireland’s National Housing Targets

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs was asked to estimate the effect on employment and occupations of the Annual Target of 33,000 new housing units in the ‘Housing for All Plan’. The Economic & Social Research Institute had previously estimated this to be the annual level of housing delivery required in the Irish economy based on population and economic growth. The aim of AECOM’s analysis is to quantify the number of workers and the types of occupations required to deliver on this target.

It was necessary to translate this housing target into an annual delivery profile over the 2021-2030 period. To achieve an annual average of 33,000 over the decade, housing completions would need to ramp up from the current annual output of approximately 20,000 in 2020, to 33,000 by 2025, before peaking at around 40,000 at the end of the decade.

Based on this profile, total labour demand from housing construction is estimated to rise from approximately 40,000 full-time equivalent workers at its current level, to 67,500 workers by the middle of the decade, when the 33,000 new housing unit target is expected to be reached. This represents an estimated additional 25,000 workers over five years. Total demand is estimated to peak at just over 80,000 workers towards the end of the decade.

Read the full report here-  Labour-Demand-Estimates-for-Ireland-s-National-Housing-Targets-2021-2030.pdf (size 459.7 KB)