High demand for scaffolder jobs as skilled workers move to Australia 

More than 250 scaffolding vacancies indicate strong demand in the construction industry as skilled workers move to Australia for higher pay.

Experienced scaffolders are moving across the Tasman, raising concerns about shortages of skilled workers in New Zealand.

Based on the 2024 analysis of Australian labour data, almost 20 per cent of all scaffolders in Australia are Kiwis.

Migration researcher Francis Collins said better career opportunities and labour-market benefits are attracting construction workers to Australia.

“Workers in Australia get higher wages and labour-market benefits like a higher pay rate where workers get paid more for overtime, weekend work, and different kinds of shifts that are non-standard,” Collins said.

A recruiter for construction jobs, Troy Scott, wrote in an industry blog that skilled construction workers leaving New Zealand is becoming a problem.

“Many skilled professionals have moved offshore or transitioned out of the industry, and the local talent pool has thinned.”

He also wrote that fewer construction projects are among the reasons skilled workers leave.

“When the project pipeline dries up, project leaders, engineers, planners, and experienced construction staff leave. Once they’ve headed offshore or moved into different industries, it is hard to get them back,” Scott wrote.

Collins said that the construction industry might need to recruit workers from overseas to function, and that a high demand in the sector is not surprising, as construction workers are among many mid-skilled occupations that move between New Zealand and Australia.

55-year-old scaffolder Allan Gillego said he moved to Perth to support his family.

“I have been working as a scaffolder for 11 years. I have helped assemble pipes for houses, buildings, and factories, but my pay only increased by $7, which is not much to provide for my family.

“In New Zealand, I got $1200 per week, but it was not enough to cover the rent, electricity, and insurance. When I moved to Australia, I got $2700 per week, which helped my family and I to save and eventually buy a house,” he said.

Scaffolders in New Zealand typically earn $60,000 to $90,000 per year, compared with scaffolders in Australia who earn $80,000 to $130,000, which is more than 30 percent higher in some cases.

Sociologist and emeritus professor at Massey University, Paul Spoonley said that the increase of workers who moved to Australia shows a wider economic migration trend.

“The New Zealand labour market is currently soft with relatively high unemployment and underemployment rates and government-imposed budget cuts,” he said.

Spoonley also said that other than higher salaries, Australia offers relocation incentives and larger retirement contributions of 12 per cent compared to the 3 per cent average KiwiSaver contribution rate.

Scott wrote that in order to attract experienced employees to work in New Zealand again, they need to meet the needs of their workers.

“Job seekers weigh career pathways, leadership opportunities, lifestyle and workplace culture just as heavily.

“Employers who can offer project certainty, a transparent pipeline and a strong value position will stand out in a crowded market,” he wrote.

Scott also wants skilled construction workers to know that “The [Construction industry] is creating the right environment for them to succeed here [in New Zealand],” he wrote.

*AI was not used to write the story.