NZ Construction Sector Mental Health Crisis Requires Urgent Reform – Industry Mentor

Builders in Crisis: Mental Health Stats Spark National Concern

New Zealand’s construction sector is in the grip of a deepening mental health crisis, with alarming suicide statistics painting a stark picture for one of the country’s most essential industries. Recent research reveals that suicide rates among construction workers are 25% higher than the national average, with Māori, Pasifika, women, apprentices, migrant workers, and general labourers among those disproportionately affected.

Financial instability, long working hours, and limited access to mental health resources are key contributors to this crisis. But it’s not just a matter of individual wellbeing – the annual economic cost of suicide in the construction sector is estimated at NZ$1.1 billion. Behind every figure is a builder, a business owner, a family, and a sector struggling to balance project delivery with personal survival.

Business Blind Spots Are Fueling the Construction Sector Mental Health Toll

Marti Amos (Ngāpuhi), founder and global head of mentoring service The Professional Builder (TPB), believes the core issue isn’t just operational pressure, but a deeper structural flaw: New Zealand’s construction industry trains people to build, but not to run a business.

“Kiwi tradespeople are exceptional on the tools – no question. But when it comes to managing cashflow, budgeting, or pricing, they’ve often been left to figure it out on their own,” says Amos, a former marketing lecturer at Otago University and one of the construction sector’s leading business mentors.

“Without a solid understanding of business fundamentals, too many builders are making it up as they go – and that’s a dangerous place to be when you’re handling large sums of money and managing teams.”

This lack of business training has wide-reaching effects: cashflow stress, unpaid wages, personal debt, broken relationships, burnout, and tragically, suicide.

Industry Stagnation is Making Things Worse

The construction industry mental health burden is being compounded by a slowing sector. According to Stats NZ, the construction industry recorded its lowest annual growth in over a decade, with just 0.6% growth in the second quarter of 2024.

For builders whose incomes rely on a steady pipeline of work, this contraction poses a significant threat, not just to business survival but to mental wellbeing. Amos says builders in New Zealand are under more pressure than ever to wear every hat: tradesperson, employer, project manager, accountant, and sometimes, counsellor.

Learning from Global Models – and Growing with Them

Unlike in the U.S., where general contractors often delegate many aspects of the project, Kiwi builders tend to carry the entire operation themselves. This not only increases stress but limits scalability.

Amos founded The Professional Builder in 2004 to tackle these challenges. What began as a small team of three has grown to a 56-person international company operating in New Zealand, Australia, the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. TPB is on track to double its staff within 18 months and grow revenues to NZ$30 million.

Its mission is clear: empower builders with the business knowledge they were never taught.

A New Book, A New Path Forward

To push this construction sector mental health message further, Amos has authored The Profitable Builders Playbook – a step-by-step guide to business mastery in construction. It outlines practical tools for builders to escape what Amos calls the “hamster wheel” – being stuck in the day-to-day without a sustainable business model.

The book also reinforces Amos’s call for a major reform of apprentice training programmes, integrating business education alongside technical trade skills.

“We’re not suggesting builders become accountants,” says Amos. “But when you’re responsible for payroll, quotes, and margins, understanding money is no longer optional – it’s essential for survival.”

Why Construction PR Agencies in Auckland Must Amplify These Stories

The issues facing the construction industry don’t end at the job site. They play out in homes, boardrooms, and policy circles. That’s why construction PR agencies in Auckland like Impact PR are critical to ensuring that stories like Amos’s reach the people who can make a difference.

Impact PR has a proven track record of generating national media visibility on pressing social and business issues. The agency has secured coverage for its clients in top-tier publications including the New Zealand Herald, Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Stuff and other leading news platforms – helping experts like Amos cut through the noise and influence change at scale.

With deep media relationships and sector expertise, Impact PR positions its construction clients not just as tradespeople, but as thought leaders, innovators, and advocates for reform.

A Sector at a Crossroads

The mental health crisis in New Zealand’s construction industry is not new – but it’s no longer one that can be ignored. As financial pressures mount and industry growth stagnates, the emotional and psychological cost will only rise unless meaningful changes are made.

Marti Amos’s message is clear: training builders to be better at business isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a national priority.

“This is about saving lives. We need to stop treating financial literacy like a niche skill and start recognising it as a foundation of mental resilience and professional longevity.”

Learn More

Marti Amos’s The Profitable Builders Playbook is available now.
Click here to learn more.

If your organisation is looking to amplify important industry messages like this, partner with one of the top construction PR agencies in Auckland. Explore our PR services for the construction sector today.