The industry employs 1.5 million people:
187,000 are women; 43,000 are from ethnic minorities

The construction industry needs to recruit 76,000 people each year for the next 5 years

British overseas construction work is worth 拢148m a year;
engineering consulting abroad is worth 拢986 m a year

Pay in the sector rose by 6.8% last year

Construction makes up 8% of UK gross domestic product

There are more than 500,000 self-employed workers in construction

Britain needs 230,000 new homes a year but is only building 160,000 at the moment

The National Lottery funded 拢346.4m of construction work last year

47,110 young people are training to enter the construction industry this year

New recruits' earnings

Architect:
拢24,000, rising to 拢50,000 average
Quantity surveyor:
拢15-20,000, rising to 拢30-40,000 within 10 years
Engineer:
拢26-36,000, rising to 拢45,000 for associates
Construction manager:
拢20,000 rising to 拢30,000 within 10 years
Land buyer/developer:
拢22,000, rising to 拢56,000 for managing directors