If you work in the construction industry, Melbourne is undoubtedly one of the best cities in the world to call home.
It has been discovered that the average hourly compensation for construction workers in the nation’s southern capital is $124, making it the seventh highest globally. This figure ranks the city as the highest in the country.
The hourly rate in Melbourne is only bested by six other cities, four of which are located in the United States and two of which are located in Switzerland.
According to the Australian Workers Union, the building rates in Victoria are far higher than those in the rest of the country, and the majority of the world should be regarded as a source of pride.
If a Victorian tradesperson worked an average of 38 hours per week, their annual compensation would be 243 thousand dollars.
These numbers were included in a survey conducted by Turner and Townsend that evaluated the state of the labour market in 88 markets worldwide.
According to the Turner and Townsend research findings, the overall construction cost in Australia rose during the Covid epidemic as a direct result of the reduction in the number of skilled migrants.
According to the report, “the loss of skilled migration during 2020-21 had a major influence on the availability of construction labour in these markets,” which led to an increase in labour cost and made this region the second most costly in the world for construction labour.
According to the Turner and Townsend analysis, members of Group 1 trades, such as plumbers and electricians, make an average of $130 per week in Victoria, which is $20 more than the average of $110 per week in Sydney.
Because of the high rates of tradies in Melbourne, corporations in neighbouring states are trying to recruit construction workers from Melbourne.
A craftsman from New Zealand stated that his country’s workers are being recruited off construction projects and sent to Australia with the promise of a plane ticket, free rent for a year, and an hourly wage twice as high as what they make now.
Duncan Garner, the host of Today FM in New Zealand, spoke with the construction worker about his allegations when the worker called the station.
The construction worker told others who were listening that an Australian builder was on the job site “tapping everyone on the shoulder” and offering wages of $75 per hour. This wage is more than twice the pay received by New Zealand construction employees at the minimum wage.
According to him, staff were offered a free airfare to Melbourne as well as rent-free housing for a period of one year.