FOI reference: FOI-2026-3393
You asked
I would like to request data on the number of men recorded as working in trades within the construction industry. The time frame for this request is the last five complete calendar years.
If available, I would be grateful if the data could be broken down by the following trade types:
- Plumber
- Electrician
- Carpenter
- Decorator
- Bricklayer
- Ground worker
- Plasterer
- Engineer
- Site Manager
I would like the data to be provided:
- Per year, for each of the last five years
- Broken down by county
- Covering England, Scotland, and Wales
In addition, if the information is held, I would like to understand whether there is any categorisation relating to languages spoken by tradespeople (for example, primary or secondary language, or English proficiency). If this information is not held, please confirm this.
We said
Thank you for your request.
There are two sources of data that can provide information which will help with your request:
- Annual Population Survey
- 2021 Census
Annual Population Survey
We collect information on the number of people working in different occupations through the Annual Population Survey, based on interviews with people resident in households in the UK.
We ask people the nature of their work and classify them to occupations based on the Standard Occupational Classification 2020 (SOC2020). Being a household survey, it is also possible to locate people based on where they live.
The survey does also collect information on first language spoken at home, broken down by English, Welsh, Gaelic, Ulster Scots/Ullans or Other. However, this information is only collected in one quarter every three years and as such is not suitable for producing analysis at a low granularity, such as occupation. The question also only asks about the first language spoken at home, rather than assessing any proficiency in other languages. We therefore do not hold this analysis.
As part of our regular output, we produce a table each quarter breaking down the number of men and women in each occupation at a regional level. Due to small sample sizes, we don't routinely break this information down to more detailed geography than regions.
It would be possible to commission bespoke analysis showing APS data by more local geography, or to include language information by contacting our social survey team. There may be a charge for this service depending on the amount of time taken to develop the analysis and undertake quality and disclosure control processes. Please note that this analysis may not give usable results due to the small sample sizes involved. Please get in touch with the team at socialsurveys@ons.gov.uk for more information.
2021 Census
We can provide data meeting your needs from the 2021 Census. Please note that ONS can provide results for England and Wales only. For data relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland you would need to contact National Records of Scotland and NISRA as they hold their own census data.
For occupation and industry breakdowns, the most relevant existing dataset is CT21_0190: Occupation (4‑digit) by Industry (2‑digit), which covers all usual residents aged 16 and over who were in employment the week before Census 2021. This is available at national and country level. Please review this table to confirm whether the specific occupations you are interested in are included. If any are not listed, please get in touch with the team at census.customer.services@ons.gov.uk for assistance and to discuss the possibility of commissioning a table.
When interpreting these data, please also note that some occupations may appear across several industries. For example, plumbers or engineers are not limited to the construction sector and may be recorded in other industries depending on respondents' self‑reported roles. If you require a commissioned table, you will need to specify the exact occupation codes you wish to use, based on the Standard Occupational Classification.
If you can confirm the specific occupation codes and language variable you require, we would be happy to advise whether a commissioned table would meet your needs.
As the requested information is reasonably accessible via another route, the exemption found under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies.