Official figures revealed by the UK Government have shown that more than 210,000 people are seeking work in the construction industry.

The figures revealed in Parliamentary answers and the Government’s own Jobcentre Plus website, show that 210,260 people on Jobseeker’s Allowance are looking for construction jobs, while the Government’s website lists just 302 jobs for the whole country.

Bridget Boreham from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) says: 'The Government has stated that official figures, which go beyond the Jobcentre Plus website, put vacancies closer to the 7,000 mark but that still shows how competitive the race for construction jobs has become.

'We have seen an increase in the last twelve months of 8% in our own membership as Professional Qualifications increasingly become a ‘must have’ to stand out from the crowd. We have also seen a significant increase in female applications, and in our experience these trends will continue as the industry recovers.

'The key for construction and the Government is to keep hold of our unemployed workers, and those coming into the industry, during the recession. If we don’t we will face the same skills shortages we had from the last recession and that will hinder the industry’s ability to respond to the upturn of the economy.'

For every £1 spent on construction the UK economy benefits by a total of £2.84, and 92% of that is spent in the UK.

Independent economic impact analysis commissioned by eight other (non CIOB) UK leading professional bodies has revealed that individuals with professional qualifications stand to gain £152,000 in additional earnings, over their working life.