124,000 Homes Behind: Why Builders Can't Hire Fast Enough

Two years into the National Housing Accord, the scoreboard says Australia is behind. The jobs market says something more interesting: if you can build, plan, supervise or manage a project, you're one of the most wanted people in the country.

Here's what the latest numbers show, and what I'd do about it if I were looking for my next role in property or construction.

The numbers, in plain English

The Accord's goal is 1.2 million new homes between July 2024 and June 2029. To be on track by the end of June 2026 we needed about 480,000 completions. We built 355,817. That leaves us roughly 124,000 homes short, according to ABS figures reported by AAP and UDIA.

Now the glass-half-full part, and it's a big one:

• 47,168 homes were completed in the June quarter, up from 44,592 in March.
• New starts rose 7% to 52,201, led by an 11.6% jump in detached houses.
• 248,733 homes are under construction right now, the highest number on record.

A record pipeline means a record amount of work waiting for people to do it. That's the real story.

The real bottleneck is people

The Housing Industry Association's Trades Report, released on 22 October, is blunt. Every market in Australia is short of skilled trades. HIA estimates we need an extra 83,000 tradespeople to build the homes the country needs. BuildSkills Australia's workforce study puts the wider gap at 116,700 workers across the residential workforce.

The shortages are sharpest in:

• Regional Queensland, regional South Australia, Brisbane and Perth
• Bricklaying, ceramic tiling, carpentry and roofing
• Electrical, where shortages have "worsened dramatically in the last six months"

And when people are scarce, pay moves. HIA found trades prices rose 6.6% in the year to September, the fastest in four years and more than double wage growth across the wider economy.

Data centres are competing for the same workers

Here's the twist most people miss. AAP reports a data centre pipeline worth around $220 billion, and those projects want the same electricians, concreters and project managers that home builders need. That's competition for builders, but it's great news for workers. If you're a sparky with commercial experience, you now have choices across homes, infrastructure and some of the most exciting tech builds on the planet.

I love this part of the story. The same country that needs more homes is also building the plumbing for the AI age, and both need skilled Australians.

The worrying bit: fewer apprentices

The one number that should keep us all up at night comes from NCVER data reported by realestate.com.au. Trade apprentices and trainees in training fell from 240,585 in March 2022 to about 216,000 in March 2026. In construction trades, the fall was 15.5%.

That's a long-term problem for the industry. For anyone thinking about starting an apprenticeship, it's an opportunity. Fewer people in the pipeline means the ones who finish will be in strong demand for years.

The Federal Government has also said it will prioritise skilled construction workers alongside doctors and nurses for skilled migration, which HIA welcomed. Migration helps, but it won't replace growing our own.

Let's be realistic

I'm an optimist, not a cheerleader. UDIA warns the shortfall could grow to around 310,000 homes by 2029 if nothing changes, and says some projects are being shelved because finance and buyer budgets have both been squeezed by about 10%. HIA flags rising costs as a possible headwind next year.

But HIA also says the work already on the ground isn't slowing, and demand from renovations, public infrastructure and data centres will keep skilled people busy. Projects may shift around. Skills won't go out of fashion.

Where the opportunities are

If you're in or near the industry, these are the roles I'd be watching:

1. Qualified trades, especially carpenters, bricklayers, tilers, roofers and electricians. Regional Queensland and Perth are standouts.
2. Site supervisors and foremen. A record number of homes under construction means a record number of sites that need someone in charge.
3. Construction and project managers who can keep jobs on time and on budget while costs rise.
4. Estimators and quantity surveyors. When costs move fast, people who can price work accurately are gold.
5. Development managers and planners who can make projects stack up and get them through approvals.
6. Apprentices, including career changers and women, which BuildSkills names as a key way to grow the workforce.

My practical advice

• Follow the shortage. If you're mobile, Brisbane, Perth and regional Queensland are where your skills will be valued most right now.
• Get your tickets current. Licences, white cards and any supervisor or WHS qualifications make you instantly more hireable.
• Ask about the pipeline. In interviews, ask how many projects the company has locked in for the next 12 to 24 months. Good employers will be happy to tell you.
• Don't undersell yourself. Trades prices are rising faster than wages elsewhere. Know your market rate before you negotiate.
• Use the tech. Tools like Grok Bot, ChatGPT or Claude can help you tidy up a CV or prepare for an interview in minutes. Pick whichever one you like.
• Thinking of switching careers? An apprenticeship in a shortage trade is one of the surest bets in the Australian jobs market today.

The bottom line

Australia is behind on homes, but it's not short of work. It's short of people. If you've got the skills, or you're willing to learn them, this is a great time to build a career in property and construction.

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