Ireland will face a major shortage of qualified surveyors if the economy continues to grow quickly over the next four years, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) has warned.
A potential shortage would create further challenges in addressing the housing crisis as well as key infrastructural and commercial developments.
The SCSI's Employment, Remuneration and Workplace Report found that, in a 4% per annum growth scenario, 2,910 new surveyor positions would be created from 2023 to 2026.
However, the number of Irish graduates forecast to enter the workforce is just 1,829, a shortfall of 1,081 or 59%. If the economy grows by 3%, the shortfall would still be significant at 18%.
Projections for Irish GDP growth in 2023 range from 3.8% (OECD) to 6.9% (Davy). The Department of Finance expects the economy to grow 4.7% this year.
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In the more optimistic growth scenario, the number of expected building surveyor graduates would need to triple from 77 to over 200 while the number of newly qualified land surveyors would need to double from 99 to 221. An estimated 500 estate agents and property managers would also be required.
Kevin James, president of the SCSI, said the figures showed an urgent need to ramp up the enrolment of surveyors in third-level institutions and to develop apprenticeships and other additional pathways into the professions
“Solving our housing supply crisis and achieving our targets with regard to the Climate Action Plan and the National Development Plan will require sufficient numbers of qualified graduates coming into the surveying profession," said James.
“Eight out of ten respondents to this survey confirmed inflation is a barrier to employment growth and that is very concerning. We know the construction sector is facing shortages of skilled workers, but this survey puts numbers on the scale of those shortages from a surveying perspective.”
“It is very likely that the Housing for All targets will undergo significant upward revision in the coming weeks, and this is going to increase the demand for all types of surveyors. Given that this research was conducted at a time of market uncertainty it is likely that the estimates of future employment demand are conservative.”
The survey found that the median salary of surveyors has risen 10% since before the pandemic to €77,200, rising to €80,000 in Dublin. Surveyors in the capital earned 15% more on average than their counterparts in the rest of the country (€68,925).
Of the three areas studied, construction (€85,000) had the highest median salary, ahead of property (€70,000) and land (€64,000).
Women make up 25% of the SCSI's membership and make up a third of members in property (34%) and opposed to just 16% in land and 10% in constructions. The median salary for a female surveyor (€70,000) was 14% lower than that of a male (€80,000).
Report author Dr Roisin Murphy, senior lecturer in engineering and built environment at TU Dublin, said it should not be construed that female respondents generally earn less than males.
“It’s important to remember that the lower number of female SCSI members compared to males, will have a distortive effect on the sample size," Dr Murphy said.
"In addition, there are proportionately more female members within the property designation, which has a lower median salary overall.
"While considerable progress has been made in addressing gender imbalance across the built environment sector nationally, there remains work to be done to address the ongoing lack of diversity. Trends in relation to salary provision across gender should be monitored on an ongoing basis.”
Photo: Kevin James. (Pic: SCSI)
