Wales' construction industry has been enjoying a boom over recent years. Multi-million pound redevelopments of city centres and waterfronts in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have generated large-scale employment. Projects include unprecedented development of houses and apartments, major shopping complexes and iconic structures such as the Millennium Stadium and Millennium Centre.
Today construction accounts for 93,000 jobs across a broad range of trades and professions. That is approximately 8% of the entire Welsh workforce. These are employed by around 10,000 businesses with 90% of them being small enterprises employing fewer than 10 people. Businesses range from large civil engineering operations to small specialist enterprises. Many of the big name contractors have permanent bases in Wales. These include names such as Costain, Westbury and Redrow. The sector includes what may be Wales' oldest established company - Watkin Jones of Bangor. The family-owned firm formed in 1791 now employs 271 people across North Wales
