GUEST EDITORIAL Understanding construction employment: the need for a fresh research agenda Andrew Dainty Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK Irena Grugulis School of Management, Bradford University, Bradford, UK, and David Langford School of the Built and Natural Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK Abstract Purpose – As a backdrop to the empirical contributions contained within this special section, this Guest Editorial aims to review the context of construction employment. It summarises the challenges inherent in construction work which have impeded the development of human resource management within the sector and discusses the mutually supporting contributions of the papers in furthering our understanding of how to improve the performance of the industry. Design/methodology/approach – The operational context of the sector is reviewed briefly, before the efficacy of the industry’s employment practices are examined through a review of the contributions contained within the special section. Findings – The papers reveal the interplay of structural and cultural factors which have led to the skills shortages currently impeding the industry’s development. There is a need for the sector to modernise and formalise its working and employment practices if performance and productivity improvements are to be achieved. Originality/value – By revealing the interconnected nature of the construction employment perspectives presented within this special section, this paper presents a case for adopting a fresh transdisciplinary research agenda for addressing the industry’s employment concerns. Keywords Construction industry, Employment Paper type General review Employment in construction: drivers for change and obstacles to improvement Despite recent advances in technology and production management techniques, the construction industry remains one of the most people-reliant industrial sectors. The sector employs almost two million people in the UK and contributes in excess of 6 per cent of total GDP (CITB, 2002). It is currently experiencing its best period of sustained economic growth since the late 1980s, with substantial public sector investment supporting ongoing activity within the commercial and house building sectors. However, given its vast size and complexity, the construction industry is not easy to The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm Guest editorial 501 Personnel Review Vol. 36 No. 4, 2007 pp. 501-508 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0048-3486 DOI 10.1108/00483480710752768