Shortage of workers and rising costs hitting construction growth, report warns The construction industry has reported a shortage of skilled workers, including bricklayers (David Davies/PA) A growing shortage of building workers, including bricklayers and carpenters, is holding back firms as they struggle to keep up with demand for new housing and infrastructure, according to a report. More expensive building materials is also affecting companies, which expect costs to rise by 10% over the next year, said the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Its survey of more than 500 chartere...