With builders being booked out 12 months in advance the need for skilled workers continues to grow.

According to the Australian Government business website, as a contractor, if you do not have an ABN before doing work, your hirer may legally withhold the top rate of tax, plus the Medicare levy, from your payment.

This could potentially explain the sudden rise as businesses start to hire people on a contract rather than commit to full time workers.

According to Dubbo Regional Council Economic development and marketing manager Josie Howard construction workers were classified as essential workers during COVID-19 restrictions and received government packages which may have been an incentive for people to start their own business.

Dubbo's Chamber of Commerce president Errin Williamson said tradesmen are "crying out" for more tradespeople across all specialities in construction.

"There is a high demand right now for construction and the need to get people in these roles to complete jobs for tradesmen," she said.

Ms Williamson said that COVID accelerated government projects and allowed easier access and more demands for building new homes.

"Rising house prices meant that renovations and extensions were a priority," she said.

To entice people to join the trades Ms Williamson said pathway programs within schools are important to encourage apprenticeships.

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"We need to make it more enticing for skill migrants and workers to move to Dubbo and the outlying regions," she said.

Chamber of Commerce treasurer Mick McKenna said government funded infrastructure projects in our region have been a major boost for Dubbo, but have dragged away tradespeople form their "normal" projects and jobs.

"This along with a low interest rate history over the last three years and on top of that the demand for Renovations exploded due to COVID and people staying at home and concentrating on their home renovations," he said.

While Dubbo businesses in the construction industry all have shortages of tradespeople, labourers and apprentices, there are plenty of vacancies across a range of industries for people to fill.

"Enticing skilled tradespeople may be easier if they know their spouses and children will also get jobs in Dubbo," he said.

VERTO's Chief Executive Officer Ron Maxwell said commencements of apprenticeships have increased nationally, including Dubbo which has seen an 8.4 percent rise, but people still aren't going into the trades.

He put that down to one particular reason.

"It's a stigma of people believing they have to go to university," he said.

"If you look at the lifetime earnings of someone at university, as opposed to a tradesperson... the lifetime earnings end up being greater, just drive around Dubbo and see who has the bigger house, it's the tradies."

Mr Maxwell said the lack of overseas migrants coming to take up these positions has been hard on the economy.

"You don't have that labour coming through anymore and it's tricky times for everyone," he said.

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