Quick answer
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) says Australia's residential building industry is short around 83,000 skilled workers, in a report released on 16 September 2026. At the same time, Queensland has a record 52,500+ homes under construction (June quarter 2026), Victoria has fast-tracked approval of more than 15,000 homes, and NSW has 499 fast-tracked housing proposals with potential for over 154,000 homes. For builders, that means booking key trades earlier, planning for electrical shortages, and lining up a licensed labour hire provider for peaks and short-notice cover.
HIA launched its report, Australia's Future is Built by Tradies, at Parliament House ahead of National Tradies Day. Its message is simple: housing targets can't be met without enough people to build the homes. Below we break down the key numbers, what they mean for sites in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, and the practical steps builders can take now.
What did HIA's tradie shortage report find?
HIA estimates the residential building industry needs around 83,000 more skilled workers, drawing on its All Hands on Deck research. The report says the shortage is slowing housing delivery, pushing up construction costs and making affordability harder to fix. It also notes:
- Competition for workers is growing. Home builders are up against infrastructure, energy and digital economy projects for the same tradespeople.
- Electrical trades are under particular pressure, with data centre expansion pulling electricians away from housing.
- Regional areas are hit hardest, with shortages described as particularly acute outside the capitals.
- Apprenticeship completion is still a problem. HIA calls completion rates a persistent challenge, even as commencements improve.
HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin put it this way: "Every housing target ultimately depends on having enough skilled people available to build those homes."
HIA's five priorities are to lift the status of trade careers, improve apprenticeship attraction and completion, support the builders who train the workforce, strengthen school-to-trade pathways and invest in workforce capacity. Most of these are long-term fixes. They won't add workers to your site this financial year.
How big is the shortage compared with the work coming?
The shortage matters because the pipeline in all three east-coast states is still growing. Recent government figures show how much work is already underway or approved:
| Indicator | Figure | Source & date |
|---|---|---|
| Residential skilled worker shortfall (national) | ~83,000 workers | HIA, 16 Sep 2026 |
| Construction-wide worker shortfall (national) | 141,000 workers | Master Builders Australia, Sep 2026 |
| QLD homes under construction | 52,500+ (fourth straight record; up about 35.6% in two years) | Queensland Government, citing ABS June quarter 2026 data, 11 Oct 2026 |
| VIC homes approved via the Development Facilitation Program | 15,000+ (1,775 in August 2026 alone) | Victorian Government, 7 Oct 2026 |
| NSW Housing Delivery Authority pipeline | 499 proposals, potential for 154,000+ homes; 15 new projects (4,346 homes) declared | NSW Department of Planning, 29 Sep 2026 |
Not every approval or proposal will turn into a project straight away. But together these numbers point to more work landing on a workforce that is already stretched.
What does this mean for builders in Victoria, Queensland and NSW?
Queensland. With more homes under construction than at any time in the state's history, demand for carpenters, concreters, formworkers and general labourers in South East Queensland is likely to stay strong. If you're running jobs in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, expect to compete for the same crews as other builders. See our Brisbane labour hire and Gold Coast labour hire pages.
Victoria. Faster approvals under the Development Facilitation Program, averaging about four months, mean more medium and higher-density projects near transport and jobs can move to construction sooner. That brings demand for formwork, steel fixing, concrete and ticketed roles such as hoist, crane and traffic control. See labour hire in Melbourne.
New South Wales. The Housing Delivery Authority now has 24 approved projects, 11 of them already under construction, and around 32,400 potential homes in lodged applications. As more of these reach site, Sydney builders will need crews ready to go. Our Melbourne office also handles NSW and Sydney bookings.
Electrical work everywhere. If HIA is right that data centres are drawing electricians away from housing, electrical rough-in and fit-off could become a bottleneck. Book electrical labour well ahead of the stage you need it.
Will skilled migration fix the shortage?
It may help over time, but not quickly. On 17 September 2026 Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said people skilled in housing trades would get the same points in the skilled migration points test as someone with a university qualification. He also said Ministerial Direction 119 would be updated so construction gets priority visa processing. No start date was given for the points test change.
Master Builders Australia welcomed the changes but said they won't be enough on their own. It says only about 7,040 skilled visa holders were working in core construction trades nationally as of September 2025. It also estimates that around 18,400 permanent migrants already in Australia hold building qualifications but are working below their skill level, because recognising skills and getting licensed is slow and costly.
For builders, the takeaway is that relief from migration is likely to arrive slowly. Plan your labour on the assumption that skilled trades stay tight through 2027.
What should builders do now to secure labour?
- Map your peaks early. Look at your programme for the next three to six months and flag the weeks where you'll need extra hands, such as slab pours, frame stages, fit-out and handover clean-ups.
- Book scarce trades first. Lock in electricians, carpenters and ticketed operators before general labour, which is usually easier to fill at shorter notice.
- Be specific about the brief. Spell out the tickets, experience and site conditions you need. A clear brief is the best way to get the worker you asked for, on site and ready to work.
- Keep a short-notice backup. Even a well-planned job loses people to illness and turnover. Having a labour hire provider already set up means cover is a phone call away.
- Use only licensed providers. In Victoria and Queensland, you must use a licensed labour hire provider. Check the licence before anyone starts.
- Keep training. If you can take on an apprentice, HIA's push to support the builders who train the workforce is aimed at you. Mixing apprentices with experienced labour hire workers can help you keep the job moving.
How Dash Group can help
Dash Group is a licensed labour hire provider in Victoria and Queensland, with offices in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Our Melbourne office also covers NSW and Sydney. Since 2018 we've made more than 23,400 temp placements for over 400 businesses. Each client has one dedicated consultant, and our consultants run start checks from 6:30am. Only about 3 in 10 people who apply to our job ads pass our screening. If one of your own workers calls in sick, we can often have a replacement on site within 2–4 hours.
Labour hire won't solve an 83,000-worker national shortage. What it can do is help you flex your crew for peaks and cover gaps so a short-staffed day doesn't stall your programme. For indicative pricing, see our guide to labour hire rates in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many tradies is Australia short in 2026?
The Housing Industry Association estimates residential building is short around 83,000 skilled workers, based on its All Hands on Deck research and published in its September 2026 report Australia's Future is Built by Tradies. Master Builders Australia puts the shortfall across the wider construction industry at 141,000 workers.
Which construction trades are hardest to find?
HIA's September 2026 report singles out electrical trades as under particular pressure from data centre expansion, and says shortages are especially acute in regional Australia. Builders also compete with infrastructure and energy projects for the same skilled workers.
Will the new skilled migration changes ease the shortage soon?
Not straight away. On 17 September 2026 the federal government said housing trades would get the same points as a university qualification in the skilled migration points test, and that construction would get priority visa processing. No start date was given for the points test change, and Master Builders Australia said the announcement would not be enough on its own.
How can labour hire help with the tradie shortage?
Labour hire lets you add vetted, ticketed workers for peaks and short-notice cover without recruiting permanent staff. At Dash Group, if a client's own worker calls in sick, we can often have a replacement on site within 2–4 hours. In Victoria and Queensland, make sure your provider holds a labour hire licence.
Sources: HIA, "New report outlines path to tackling Australia's tradie shortage" (16 September 2026) and HIA, Australia's Future is Built by Tradies (PDF); Master Builders Australia, "Skilled migration announcement good news for home builds" (17 September 2026); Minister for Home Affairs, National Press Club speech (17 September 2026); Queensland Government, "Queensland leads the way as home build records keep being broken" (11 October 2026); Premier of Victoria, "Delivering Thousands More Homes – Faster" (7 October 2026); NSW Department of Planning, "More than 4,300 homes declared State Significant" (29 September 2026); project news via Build Australia. Dash Group is not affiliated with or endorsed by HIA, Master Builders or any government body.