Meeting Australia’s housing targets will require a significant expansion of the residential construction workforce. Building on earlier workforce modelling, BuildSkills Australia’s Residential Construction Mobility Study examines whether labour mobility - particularly movement from other industries - can play a larger role in meeting this demand.
The study finds that although residential construction attracts large numbers of workers from elsewhere in the economy each year, these inflows are matched by workers leaving the sector. This results in a net drain on workforce capacity, meaning the sector is largely reliant on new entrants from education and migration to achieve growth. Mobility is particularly limited in key trades critical to housing delivery, and labour flows between regions are not well aligned with areas of demand.
Through detailed labour market data and industry consultation, the study identifies a range of barriers limiting mobility, including fragmented licensing systems, inaccessible training and recognition pathways for experienced workers, mismatched skill profiles between construction sub‑sectors, and inconsistent workplace cultures. These challenges disproportionately affect mature‑age workers and women, limiting the diversity and size of the workforce.
The report proposes three high‑impact reforms to turn labour mobility into a practical workforce solution: an accessible online tool to clarify entry and licensing requirements, fast‑track apprenticeships for experienced workers, and a nationally consistent framework to recognise and upgrade existing skills. Together, these changes would help unlock workforce capacity critical to delivering Australia’s future housing needs.
