Australia short 83,000 tradespeople as repair costs spike
Australia has a shortage of 83,000 tradespeople, causing repair costs to spike dramatically and fuelling inflation.
Australia needs 83,000 more tradespeople, and the shortage is pushing home repair bills to eye-watering levels. A Sydney electrician charged $350 just to turn up, then $990 to replace a single power point.
A painter charged $750 to climb a ladder and paint about one square metre. Big projects like data centres, power plants and office buildings get first pick of skilled labour.
Home maintenance comes last. Apprentices drop out at 50 per cent, and just 3.1 per cent of construction trades workers are women.
Both major parties have promised to help. But change will take time.
- 83,000 tradespeople
- Shortage size
- $350
- Electrician call-out fee
- $990
- Power point replacement
- 50 per cent
- Apprentice dropout rate
Why it mattersIf you need a plumber, electrician or tradie, expect to pay more and wait longer. The shortage will push repair bills higher for years to come.
AustraliaAustralian homeowners face inflating repair costs as tradespeople pursue higher-paying data centre and infrastructure work, with no quick fix in sight.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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