From a powerhouse workforce fueling one in twelve NSW jobs to the scaffolding of our skyline and the laying of foundations for our future, the New South Wales construction industry is a dynamic and complex engine driving the state's economy and shaping its landscape.
Key Takeaways
- In June 2023, the New South Wales construction industry employed 284,500 full-time equivalent workers, representing 8.2% of total state employment
- As of 2022-23 financial year, there were 45,200 apprentices and trainees in NSW construction trades, a 12% increase from the previous year
- Women comprised 13.4% of the NSW construction workforce in 2023, up from 11.8% in 2020, with 38,100 female workers
- The NSW construction industry contributed $48.2 billion to state GDP in 2022-23, accounting for 9.1% of total GSP
- Total value of construction work done in NSW reached $112.5 billion in 2022-23, up 7.4% from prior year
- NSW construction exports, mainly engineering services, totaled $2.1 billion in 2023
- In 2022-23, NSW approved 56,200 new dwellings with a total value of $32.4 billion
- Total value of engineering construction work in NSW was $28.7 billion in 2022-23
- NSW residential building approvals increased 14% to 47,800 dwellings in 2023
- NSW construction fatalities numbered 22 in 2022-23, a rate of 7.7 per 100,000 workers
- Serious injuries in NSW construction totaled 4,200 claims in 2022-23, down 8% from prior year
- Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) for NSW construction was 1.8 per million hours in 2023
- In 2023, NSW residential construction starts reached 52,400 dwellings, up 11% YoY
- Average cost to build a house in NSW was $2,800 per sqm in 2023
- Sydney house approval values averaged $650,000 per dwelling in 2023
The NSW construction industry is a large, growing, and vital economic sector with significant workforce and safety challenges.
Construction Volumes and Projects
- In 2022-23, NSW approved 56,200 new dwellings with a total value of $32.4 billion
- Total value of engineering construction work in NSW was $28.7 billion in 2022-23
- NSW residential building approvals increased 14% to 47,800 dwellings in 2023
- Non-residential construction commencements in NSW totaled $18.2 billion in 2023
- 1,250 km of new roads were constructed in NSW in 2022-23 under infrastructure programs
- NSW issued 12,400 subdivision approvals valued at $4.8 billion in 2023
- Heavy industrial construction projects in NSW reached $6.5 billion in value during 2023
- 320 new schools and extensions added 1.2 million sqm of floor space in NSW 2022-23
- NSW hospital construction work completed totaled $3.9 billion in 2023
- Retail and commercial building completions in NSW were $7.1 billion in 2022-23
- 85 major infrastructure projects valued over $50 million were underway in NSW in 2023
- NSW apartment completions numbered 18,400 units worth $12.6 billion in 2023
- Rail infrastructure construction in NSW advanced 45 km of new track in 2022-23
- Detached house construction in NSW totaled 29,100 homes valued at $19.8 billion in 2023
- Water and sewerage projects in NSW completed $2.3 billion in works in 2023
- Office building developments in NSW CBD reached $4.2 billion completions in 2023
- 2,800 social housing units were built in NSW in 2022-23 under government programs
- NSW renewable energy construction added 1.2 GW capacity in 2023
- Heritage restoration projects in NSW totaled 450 sites with $850 million investment in 2023
- Logistics and warehouse construction in NSW boomed to $5.6 billion in 2023
- Stadium and venue upgrades in NSW cost $1.8 billion across 12 projects in 2022-23
- NSW aged care facility construction added 4,500 beds valued at $2.1 billion in 2023
- Flood mitigation works in regional NSW constructed 150 km of levees in 2023
- Data center builds in NSW totaled 250,000 sqm floor space in 2023
- University campus expansions in NSW added $1.4 billion in construction value 2023
Construction Volumes and Projects Interpretation
While NSW appears to be constructing a whole new state from the classrooms up, the real story is a sprawling, $130+ billion symphony of necessity—from the roofs over our heads and the roads under our feet to the power grids, hospitals, and warehouses that will define our future, proving we're building far more than just houses.
Economic Contribution
- The NSW construction industry contributed $48.2 billion to state GDP in 2022-23, accounting for 9.1% of total GSP
- Total value of construction work done in NSW reached $112.5 billion in 2022-23, up 7.4% from prior year
- NSW construction exports, mainly engineering services, totaled $2.1 billion in 2023
- Business income for NSW construction firms was $145 billion in 2022-23
- The multiplier effect of NSW construction spending generated $1.85 in additional economic activity per $1 invested in 2023
- NSW construction paid $18.7 billion in wages and salaries in 2022-23
- Tax revenue from NSW construction industry was $12.4 billion in 2022-23, including GST and payroll tax
- Average profit margin for NSW construction SMEs was 4.2% in 2023
- NSW construction R&D expenditure reached $1.2 billion in 2023, 1.1% of turnover
- The sector supported 1.2 million indirect jobs across NSW supply chains in 2023
- NSW construction investment as % of GSP was 12.3% in 2022-23
- Bankruptcy rate among NSW construction firms was 2.8% in 2023, lower than national 3.5%
- Total assets held by NSW construction businesses were $189 billion in 2023
- NSW construction contributed $6.5 billion to state exports in 2023 via modular building components
- Industry's share of NSW business failures was 22% in 2023
- Average firm revenue in NSW construction was $4.2 million in 2023 for SMEs
- NSW construction generated $3.8 billion in local government rates in 2022-23
- Return on investment for public construction projects in NSW averaged 1.8:1 in 2023
- Sector's capital expenditure was $15.6 billion in NSW for 2023
- NSW construction imports of materials totaled $9.2 billion in 2023
- Profit before tax for large NSW constructors averaged 6.1% in 2023
- The industry paid $2.4 billion in superannuation contributions in NSW 2022-23
- NSW construction's share of state innovation funding was 14% or $450 million in 2023
- Total liabilities for NSW construction firms stood at $112 billion in 2023
- Economic leakage from NSW construction supply chains was 18% in 2023
- NSW construction GDP growth was 5.2% in 2022-23, outpacing state average of 4.1%
Economic Contribution Interpretation
Though responsible for a disproportionate 22% of business failures and operating on paper-thin 4.2% margins, the NSW construction industry is the state's stubborn, indispensable engine room, generating nearly one in ten dollars of economic activity while supporting armies of workers and government coffers with its paradoxically precarious yet prolific productivity.
Occupational Health and Safety
- NSW construction fatalities numbered 22 in 2022-23, a rate of 7.7 per 100,000 workers
- Serious injuries in NSW construction totaled 4,200 claims in 2022-23, down 8% from prior year
- Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) for NSW construction was 1.8 per million hours in 2023
- 65% of NSW construction fatalities in 2023 involved falls from height
- Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 42% of all construction workers' compensation claims in NSW 2022-23, totaling 12,500 cases
- NSW construction had 28,400 workers' compensation claims in 2022-23, costing $1.2 billion
- High-risk work licences issued in NSW construction reached 156,000 in 2023
- Psychological injury claims in NSW construction rose 15% to 1,850 in 2023
- 92% compliance rate for NSW construction safety audits in 2023 across 2,500 sites
- Heat-related incidents in NSW construction numbered 450 during 2023 summer
- Crane-related incidents reported 120 cases in NSW construction 2022-23, with 3 fatalities
- Asbestos exposure notifications in NSW construction sites totaled 890 in 2023
- Safety training completions in NSW construction hit 245,000 White Cards in 2023
- Vehicle incidents caused 18% of construction injuries in NSW, or 5,100 cases in 2022-23
- NSW construction prohibition notices issued numbered 1,450 in 2023 for safety breaches
- Noise-induced hearing loss claims in construction were 320 in NSW 2022-23
- Improvement notices for safety issued 8,200 times to NSW construction firms in 2023
- Fatigue-related incidents reported 670 in NSW construction 2023
- Electrical safety breaches led to 210 incidents in NSW construction sites 2022-23
- Silicosis diagnoses in NSW construction workers reached 48 new cases in 2023
- Manual handling injuries comprised 28% of claims, or 7,950 cases in NSW construction 2022-23
- Scaffolding collapses reported 34 incidents with 12 injuries in NSW 2023
- Safety fines totaling $15.2 million levied on NSW construction firms in 2023
- Trench collapse fatalities were 4 in NSW construction 2022-23
- PPE non-compliance cited in 45% of NSW construction inspections in 2023
- Return-to-work rate for injured NSW construction workers was 85% within 6 months in 2023
Occupational Health and Safety Interpretation
While the overall injury trend is cautiously encouraging, these numbers are a stark and sobering reminder that behind every percentage point and compliance rate lies a human story, from the persistent, preventable tragedy of falls to the silent epidemic of psychological and musculoskeletal harm.
Residential and Housing Sector
- In 2023, NSW residential construction starts reached 52,400 dwellings, up 11% YoY
- Average cost to build a house in NSW was $2,800 per sqm in 2023
- Sydney house approval values averaged $650,000 per dwelling in 2023
- Multi-unit residential completions in NSW totaled 22,100 dwellings worth $15.7 billion in 2023
- Vacant residential land sales in NSW reached 18,500 lots valued at $6.2 billion in 2023
- NSW government funded 12,000 affordable homes in 2022-23 under housing strategy
- Median time from approval to completion for NSW houses was 18 months in 2023
- Prefab and modular housing accounted for 8% of NSW residential builds in 2023, or 4,200 units
- Rental vacancy rate influenced by new housing supply dropped to 1.8% in Sydney 2023
- NSW regional residential approvals were 22,100 dwellings in 2023, 42% of total
- Green star-rated residential projects in NSW numbered 156 in 2023, covering 45,000 units
- Strata developments in NSW approved 9,800 lots worth $8.4 billion in 2023
- Home builder insolvencies impacted 2,500 NSW homebuyers in 2023
- NSW tiny homes and relocatable housing builds totaled 1,200 units in 2023
- Average size of new NSW detached homes was 220 sqm in 2023
- First home buyer grants supported 18,400 NSW residential starts in 2023
- Bushfire-resistant housing certifications issued for 3,200 NSW homes in 2023
- Co-living and build-to-rent apartments delivered 4,500 units in NSW 2023
- Residential renovation values in NSW totaled $14.2 billion in 2023
- NSW housing shortfall estimated at 166,000 dwellings by 2027 per 2023 projections
Residential and Housing Sector Interpretation
The market is flexing its muscles with an 11% jump in starts, but its heartburn over a 166,000-home shortfall proves you can't outbuild a crisis on pricey plots with houses that take a year and a half to complete.
Workforce and Employment
- In June 2023, the New South Wales construction industry employed 284,500 full-time equivalent workers, representing 8.2% of total state employment
- As of 2022-23 financial year, there were 45,200 apprentices and trainees in NSW construction trades, a 12% increase from the previous year
- Women comprised 13.4% of the NSW construction workforce in 2023, up from 11.8% in 2020, with 38,100 female workers
- The average weekly earnings for full-time construction workers in NSW reached $2,150 in November 2023, 15% higher than the national average
- In 2023, 22% of NSW construction workers were aged 55 and over, highlighting an aging workforce demographic
- NSW construction sector had an unemployment rate of 3.8% in Q4 2023, below the state average of 4.2%
- Over 15,000 international skilled migrants entered NSW construction visas in 2022-23
- Indigenous employment in NSW construction rose to 2.8% of the workforce in 2023, equating to 8,000 workers
- Part-time employment in NSW construction accounted for 18.5% of total jobs in 2023, totaling 52,600 positions
- In 2022, NSW construction firms reported 7,200 vacancies, a 25% year-on-year increase
- 65% of NSW construction workers hold post-secondary qualifications as of 2023
- Youth employment (15-24 years) in NSW construction was 14.2% of the workforce in 2023, numbering 40,400
- Self-employment rate in NSW construction stood at 28% in 2023, with 79,600 sole traders
- In 2023, 9,500 NSW construction workers participated in upskilling programs funded by the state government
- Regional NSW construction employment was 112,000 in 2023, 39% of total state figure
- Overtime hours in NSW construction averaged 4.2 hours per week per worker in 2023
- 32% of NSW construction supervisors were promoted internally in 2022-23
- Migrant workers made up 32.5% of NSW construction labor force in 2023
- In 2023, 5,200 workers entered NSW construction via TAFE apprenticeships
- Labour turnover rate in NSW construction was 18.7% annually in 2023
- Disability employment in NSW construction reached 4.1% in 2023, or 11,600 workers
- In Q3 2023, NSW construction added 12,300 net new jobs year-on-year
- 76% of NSW construction workers are Australian-born as of 2023
- Female apprentices in NSW construction numbered 8,900 in 2023, 20% of total
- Average tenure for NSW construction workers was 6.8 years in 2023
- 4,800 NSW construction workers retrained in green building skills in 2023
- Union membership in NSW construction was 24% in 2023
- In 2023, 28,400 NSW construction jobs were in Greater Sydney, 55% of total
- Casual employment comprised 42% of NSW construction workforce in 2023
Workforce and Employment Interpretation
While the NSW construction industry is simultaneously greying, expanding, and welcoming more women and migrants—all while paying well and desperately seeking skilled hands—it remains a fascinating Jenga tower of opportunity, demographic shifts, and overtime hours.
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