Thanks to the construction boom, there are more contracts for smaller companies as well

Prague - Thanks to the construction boom, companies are hiring new workers, increasing wages, and smaller companies are also receiving more contracts. However, the market is experiencing a deepening shortage of qualified workers, particularly bricklayers, carpenters, and roofers. This emerges from responses from construction companies for ČTK. After last year's growth of 4.2 percent, production could increase by five to six percent this year, leading companies to carry out construction work worth nearly 450 billion CZK.
"A good company can find work now. Smaller companies do work for large ones, but also for themselves," said Miloslav Mašek, the general director of the Association of Entrepreneurs in Construction to ČTK. An increasing number of companies employ, for example, Hochtief VSB, which is also due to the growing specialization in construction professions. "We provide opportunities mainly to companies operating in the vicinity of the construction site when selecting subcontractors, thus bringing job opportunities to individual regions," stated company spokesperson Alena Čechová.
The increasing interest in supplies from smaller companies was confirmed by Metrostav and the largest construction firm on the market, Skanska CZ. "The growth of construction is interlinked, so in connection with increasing production, we are purchasing more energy, materials, and subcontracting," said Ondřej Šuch from Skanska CZ.
According to Mašek, the supply of companies is still greater than demand, allowing clients to choose among the offers, and strong companies can expand abroad as well. For example, the Ostrava-based company Tchas has entered the Polish market, while Unistav has ventured into the Russian market. However, the Western market remains relatively closed to companies.
Thanks to the growing construction production, companies can afford to hire new workers and pay higher wages. The number of employees at Skanska CZ increased in the first half of this year by nearly 400 people to approximately 7400. The number of employees is also growing in Metrostav and Hochtief VSB. According to statisticians, the number of employees in construction companies with 20 or more people increased by 0.7 percent in June. A total of about 435,000 people work in construction.
The average monthly wage in construction reached approximately 20,400 crowns in June. For instance, Skanska CZ paid an average of about 32,700 CZK at the end of last year. This year, wages for manual professions in this company will rise by five percent and for technical and economic workers by four percent. At Hochtief VSB, the year-on-year growth of the average wage in recent years has been around ten percent.
However, with the growth of construction, the shortage of qualified workers is deepening. "There is a constant shortage of quality bricklayers, carpenters, and machine operators, just as there is for preparers, estimators, and budgeters," noted Čechová. Skanska CZ also feels the lack of quality project estimators. The shortage of qualified manual workers can be a barrier to further growth, according to Metrostav spokesperson František Polák.
Therefore, the Association of Entrepreneurs in Construction is working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to support vocational education. They are trying to create a system that would bring back the popularity of trades. They are inspired by experiences from France and Germany. "In France, they have managed to train as many apprentices as they need," noted Mašek. The project should be completed by autumn, with the government deciding on its acceptance.
According to companies, the business association, and analysts, the construction boom should continue. The drivers of construction, especially, include transportation infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways, roads, and railways. There are also increases in industrial construction and residential building.