# LinkedIn Post #11: Construction Labour Shortage + Why Agencies Make It Worse
*Herald | 26 Feb 2026 | STATUS: DRAFT — Needs Michael's approval*
*Deploy: When Michael signals go*

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## Post

Australia needs 500,000 construction workers by 2030.

That's Master Builders Australia talking, not me.

29% of assessed occupations have skills shortages. Construction is one of the worst hit. The ABS says there were 279,000 vacancies across the sector last year alone.

So we have a supply crisis. Everyone agrees on that.

Here's what nobody's talking about:

The hiring model makes it worse.

A labourer signs up with an agency. Agency charges the contractor $65/hr. Pays the worker $40/hr. Pockets $25/hr.

The contractor thinks labour is expensive. Puts off hiring. Project falls behind.

The worker thinks the pay's average. Takes an easier job in warehousing.

Both sides lose. The only winner is the recruiter who never picks up a shovel.

Now imagine the worker keeps every dollar. $45/hr, straight in his pocket. He stays in construction. The contractor pays less. He hires sooner. The project stays on schedule.

That's not a fantasy. That's what happens when you charge $50 flat instead of $50,000 a year.

We didn't solve the labour shortage. But we stopped making it worse.

rateright.com.au — $50 per hire. Workers keep 100%. 🧾

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## Notes
- Opens with third-party credibility (MBA, ABS stats)
- Middle: structural argument about WHY the shortage persists
- The "imagine" pivot shows the alternative without being salesy
- Closes with our model as the answer
- Sources: MBA "half a million workers" blueprint (Apr 2023), ABS Job Vacancies Survey (Feb 2024), Jobs & Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List (Oct 2025)
- Michael Test: ✅ Real data. System-level argument. Not attacking competitors by name.