Small construction firms are finding it difficult to recruit carpenters, joiners and bricklayers, according to a survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Results from the FMB's latest State of Trade Survey for Q4 2014 show 42% of firms are struggling to recruit bricklayers, compared to 27% the same time last year.

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Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: "For carpenters and joiners, the figure has nearly doubled with 23% of firms reporting issues in Q4 2013 and 44% of firms now saying these tradespeople are hard to come by. We're also seeing a rising and significant shortage of roofers, plasterers and site managers.

"The skills time bomb has arisen for a number of reasons. Around 400,000 construction workers left the industry since the downturn hit in 2007 and many will never return. If you combine this with an increase in workloads as the economy recovers, all the signs point to the skills shortage getting worse before it gets better."

(CD/JP)