There is persistent and widespread weakness in the home
building industry in Australia,
according to the latest Trades Report from the Housing Industry Association,
the voice of Australia’s
residential construction industry.
The HIA Trades Report, a survey of builders and
sub-contractors, highlights a significant increase in the availability of
skilled labor in the June 2012 quarter.
“A synchronized decline in new home building and renovations
activity in 2012, which sees the former sector back in recession, is reflected
in the highest availability of skilled labor reported since the HIA trades
survey began in 2002,” said HIA chief economist Harley Dale.
“Tens of thousands of trades people are feeling the pressure
of persistently weak residential building activity, while the loss of skilled labor
to the resources sector will intensify the longer recessionary conditions
persist,” he pointed out.
“Governments have a crucial role to play in delivering
investment and reform to boost housing activity. Furthermore, now is the time,
during cyclical weakness, for policy makers to accelerate reform and investment
in skills and training to avoid labor re-emerging as a constraint on a future
housing recovery,” he added.
