Ottawa – In a shift away from major industrial and engineering construction projects, more traditional core infrastructure construction and maintenance activities will be the primary employment drivers in New Brunswick, sustaining the province’s construction workforce near current levels this decade, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Despite this slower growth period, there will likely be recruitment challenges in the fall of this year,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “The scheduled maintenance/shutdown of a major refinery will create a significant short-term spike in demand for workers, especially those with specialized skills.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows construction activity mostly unchanged over the near term. Modest, though stable, residential and non-residential demands sustain construction employment growth. The long-term driver for construction activity was weakened significantly by the cancellation of the Energy East pipeline project. A proposed mining project, along with higher levels of federal and provincial funding in highways, bridges and other infrastructure, are expected to raise engineering construction employment this year through to 2020. As work is completed, employment is likely to decline between 2021 and 2022, before ramping up in the second half of the forecast period with the anticipated start of the Mactaquac Dam refurbishment project. Declining levels of institutional investment should result in the loss of up to 800 jobs in ICI (industrial, commercial, institutional) building construction across the forecast period. New housing construction will also continue to slow, while renovation and maintenance work, which currently accounts for eight in 10 residential jobs, will continue to grow.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“New Brunswick’s construction workforce is retiring at a higher rate than in any other province,” added Ferreira. “Replacing as many as 7,100 retirees will take a real focus on attracting new workers from underrepresented groups, including Indigenous people and women, as well as new immigrants and workers from other industries.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Canada’s construction industry must remain focused on recruitment and retention as more than one quarter of a million construction workers are expected to retire this decade, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
While slow and uneven construction job growth is anticipated this decade as construction activity levels off, the notable provincial exceptions are BC’s Lower Mainland and Ontario’s Central and Eastern regions, where rising project demands have outpaced the available local workforce.
“Despite slower employment growth in most provinces, recruitment pressures will intensify with the estimated retirement of up to 21 percent of Canada’s construction workforce this decade,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Simply put, the industry must remain focused on recruitment, training, and mentoring efforts to prevent a potential skills and capacity gap over the next 10 years.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows construction activity is expected to soften in most provincial markets due to the aging population and weaker demand for Canadian natural resources.
Despite this trend, the workforce is estimated to rise by approximately 22,000 workers by the end of the decade, as modest gains in non-residential job growth outpace small declines in residential construction. Public infrastructure modernization and growing demand for residential renovation and heavy industrial maintenance activity should help sustain industry employment over the decade. Major transportation, utility, and other infrastructure projects are expected to nudge non-residential employment up a further 3 percent, or 18,400 workers to a near-term peak in 2020. That growth is concentrated in Ontario and British Columbia, driven by major nuclear refurbishment, LNG (liquefied natural gas), energy, and transportation infrastructure projects. Steady job growth related to anticipated increases in demand for commercial and institutional building construction will prevail in most provinces. While slower population growth may lead to lower demand for new housing construction, any declines should be offset mainly by rising renovation and maintenance activity.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows several common themes across most provinces:
“To meet labour requirements and counter rising retirements, as many as 277,000 new construction workers will be needed this decade,” added Ferreira. “With increasing competition for a shrinking pool of young people, it will be necessary to step up recruitment efforts to attract greater numbers of new Canadians, women, and Indigenous people to Canada’s construction workforce.”
Highlights of BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast can be found for each province at www.constructionforecasts.ca.
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – As major projects wind down and the impact of lower oil prices persist, Alberta’s construction industry will shrink by up to 5,200 jobs through to 2019. The most significant workforce reductions are now behind it, however, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“With signs of a broader recovery ahead, labour markets are shifting and new job opportunities are opening up,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Job growth in new home and renovation work and seasonal shutdown/turnaround and maintenance work is expected to help offset some short-term employment losses.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast reflects the impact of continued oil price uncertainty, with no new major projects scheduled. As existing projects wind down, engineering construction employment declines. Non-residential construction growth should resume in 2019 and again in 2024 with a renewal in oil and gas investment. Alberta’s non-residential construction market will continue to diversify, as commercial and institutional building construction is expected to recover this year and rise steadily over the decade. This should drive moderate employment growth next year and over the medium term, along with the steady recovery in new home construction and the continued rise in renovation work. In the short term, higher than normal levels of planned industrial-sector maintenance and shutdown work will require thousands of specialized tradespeople and may create recruitment challenges during peak demand periods this spring and fall. Total construction employment is expected to decline this year, before broader growth resumes later in the scenario period, adding 8,300 jobs by 2027.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The need to replace the province’s aging construction workforce is a constant,” added Ferreira. “This requires proactive planning and steady recruitment and training throughout construction’s up- and down-cycles.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – The ramp-up of major projects starting next year, from planned pipeline to transportation and liquefied natural gas (LNG), may create significant recruitment challenges, with as many as 16,000 new workers needed over the next three years, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“This may be the largest surge in engineering construction in recent memory, and it’s happening at a time when many skilled trades are already in short supply,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “BC’s construction workforce will need to expand by up to 23 percent by 2021 to meet project requirements. That takes careful planning.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that while the pace of construction growth is expected to moderate slightly in British Columbia this year, major expansion will start in 2019 and 2020, driven by a diverse group of gas, pipeline, utility, civil, and public transportation projects. The sheer volume of these projects is significant if they proceed as planned. As projects approach completion between 2022 and 2025, employment will decline, but stay above current levels. It’s anticipated that commercial and institutional building construction will continue to grow, while the pace of residential construction may recede, starting this year through to 2024, as many large condo projects near completion. Gains in non-residential construction will help to offset job losses in residential construction, returning total employment to current levels.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The retirement of well over 40,000 workers, or approximately 22 percent of the construction workforce this decade will add to recruitment challenges,” said Ferreira. “Tradespeople with specialized skills and experience will be in demand for major projects, especially in remote regions.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – After more than a decade of expansion, construction activity and employment will steadily recede across Manitoba as major projects wind down and new home building eases, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“While the construction workforce is expected to decline by a modest 7 percent from now to 2027, employment will stay near record levels this decade,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Following a decade of strong growth, sustaining capital and maintenance, as well as home renovation work, will create many new jobs and help to support the construction workforce during this period.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that the completion of major hydro and other utility-related projects will translate into a steady slide in engineering construction employment until 2023. While rising manufacturing investment strengthens industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) building investments this year, further ICI building construction should be limited by slower population growth, which will also ease demand for new housing activity between now and 2024. Construction employment should remain at relatively high levels across the forecast period, as non-residential maintenance and home renovation work continues to rise.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“As many as 8,200 new workers are needed this decade to help counter baby boom retirements,” added Ferreira. “This is the time to focus recruitment efforts not only on young people and skilled immigrants, but also on underrepresented groups, including Indigenous people and women.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Although construction activity in Saskatchewan is expected to slow over the near term, a recovery in new home construction, a rise in home renovation work, and the planned start of major new mining and utility projects will help sustain the province’s construction workforce at well above historical levels, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Even during the current slow-growth period, it’s important to keep recruiting and training new workers for future projects,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “While much depends on the timing of planned resource and utility projects, as many as 3,500 new workers may be needed between 2022 and 2027.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that commodity price uncertainty may result in engineering construction job losses through to 2021. New planned mining and utility projects, however, are expected to create additional opportunities and demand for many skilled trades between 2022 and 2024. A modest rise in institutional and commercial building construction expected after 2021 should contribute to steady employment growth in industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) building construction over the second half of the scenario period. Rising residential renovation work and a recovery in new housing by 2023 is expected to increase residential construction employment by 26 percent, or nearly 3,600 jobs across the remainder of the forecast period. Overall construction employment demands are expected to surpass current levels by 2023.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“This decade, Saskatchewan is anticipated to lose 19 percent of its skilled construction workforce to retirements,” added Ferreira. “It’ll take proactive planning to counter the loss of a generation’s worth of skill and experience.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Newfoundland and Labrador’s construction industry is expected to lose up to 30 percent of its workforce, or as many as 6,800 workers, over the next four years as major projects wind down, workers leave the province, and others retire, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“The biggest risk is that the industry won’t have the workers it needs when projects ramp back up,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “The challenge now is attracting, training, and retaining enough workers in a slower-growth environment so as to not erode the industry’s capacity to meet future construction demands.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows construction employment is well into a pronounced down-cycle that extends into the mid 2000s. Project completions coupled with a prolonged decline in new residential and non-residential ICI (industrial, commercial, institutional) building construction is likely to reduce the workforce by 20 percent, or 1,600 workers, by 2021. Work on the Muskrat Falls hydro project is winding down, while the start of the Husky West White Rose Extension offshore platform project will only partially offset anticipated job losses over the next few years. Fewer housing starts and softening renovation activity should contribute to a steady, but modest slide in residential employment between now and 2021 before returning to near 2017 levels by the end of the forecast period. Overall, construction demands are expected to stabilize across most markets starting in 2025.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The province is losing almost a quarter of its workforce to retirements,” added Ferreira. “A declining population and shrinking pool of young workers means the industry has to work hard at countering the impact of retirements to sustain its workforce.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Ontario’s construction workforce will need to expand by more than 100,000 workers this decade to keep up with a series of major projects and the retirement of as many as one-in-five workers, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
It’s anticipated that as many as 15,000 new workers will be hired this decade, most between now and 2021.
“Major transit, nuclear refurbishment projects, and the recent acceleration in new housing construction have the province’s construction labour force working at near capacity,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “It’s rare to have such high levels of activity in both residential and non-residential sectors at the same time.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that near-term construction demands will continue to strengthen across most regions, as major public transportation and other engineering project and ICI (industrial, commercial, institutional) building requirements are expected to rise to a peak in 2020. Major projects, including an international bridge in Windsor, a new chemical facility in Sarnia, nuclear refurbishment projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Southwestern Ontario, and transit projects in the GTA, Hamilton and Ottawa put significant demands on the construction workforce over a prolonged period. While new housing construction is expected to recede from the 2017 record pace, residential employment should surpass last year’s levels by 2021, driven by growth in renovation work. Up to 87,000 construction workers are expected to retire in the next 10 years.
“Retirements are likely to account for eight-in-10 new hires this decade,” added Ferreira. “Given the breadth of the current expansion and the need to replace so many retirees, it’s increasingly more difficult to build the province’s construction workforce.”
BuildForce Canada’s forecast by region:
Greater Toronto Area
Southwest Ontario
Central Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Northern Ontario
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Attracting, training, and keeping the next generation of skilled workers in Nova Scotia will be an industry necessity to counter the retirement of approximately 8,200 construction workers this decade, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“It will take a concerted effort to replace up to a quarter of the province’s construction workforce that’s planning to retire in the next 10 years,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Compounding the challenge is the reality that Nova Scotia has one of the oldest populations in Atlantic Canada and a shrinking pool of young workers to draw from.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that as current major projects end, and new housing is expected to cycle down throughout the decade, employment is sustained by steady levels of industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) building construction along with rising maintenance requirements and modest growth in home renovation work. Completion of the Maritime Link transmission line, the Halifax Convention Centre and the Macdonald Bridge may lead to a modest decline in construction employment this year. A new granite quarry, the twinning of a highway and other infrastructure work, however, should sustain related employment going forward.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Nova Scotia’s non-residential sector should become a stable source of construction employment this decade,” added Ferreira. “In addition to ongoing recruitment, the industry may need to encourage greater mobility of workers between the non-residential and residential sectors to overcome the retirement challenge.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – A rapidly aging workforce, higher levels of immigration, and an increase in institutional and commercial building construction are expected to help drive job growth in PEI’s construction industry this decade, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“As many as 1,300 new construction workers are needed to help offset retirements over the next 10 years,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “As the pool of younger workers shrinks, new Canadians, workers from other industries, and underrepresented groups, including Indigenous people and women, will need to play an ever-increasing role in building the province’s construction workforce.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that after 2017’s record-setting year for housing starts, momentum in the industry is expected to continue this year before residential construction eases. Residential renovation and maintenance work should also continue to climb steadily, as will commercial and institutional building activity, which is expected to increase related employment by 34 percent this decade. Engineering activity is expected to slow this year with the completion of the Maritime Electric project, before rising again later in the scenario period. By 2027, total construction employment should be approximately 4 percent higher than current levels.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“This decade, the focus shifts from new housing to non-residential construction as the primary employment driver,” added Ferreira. “Most of those job gains are anticipated this year, which makes worker mobility between sectors and provinces key to meeting labour demands.”
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
For further information, contact Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, at [email protected] or (613)-569-5552 ext. 222.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
