Is the construction industry’s growing reliance on agency labour becoming a problem?

By Daniel Gayne2025-10-09T06:00:00

Source: Shutterstock

Recent controversies have highlighted concerns about construction’s increasing dependence on agency workers, raising questions about skills development, compliance and the sector’s fragmented labour model

Controversies are generally best avoided for an industry seeking to tidy up its reputation. But when they do happen, they can be an opportunity to step back and take stock of where things might be going wrong.

This year, a number of awkward headlines have raised questions about the role of agency labour in construction.

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