Alberta’s construction industry is projected to lose up to 11,000 jobs over the coming year as several large projects reach completion and low oil prices continue to limit new investment and growth, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“While a staggered recovery is expected to start next year, it won’t lift all sectors of construction until about 2024,”said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “It’s a complex transition period for industry that needs to ensure it has a skilled workforce trained and ready as the economy turns around.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2017-2026 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that the pace of overall job losses will ease in 2017. However, the slumping oil and gas sector and the completion of major projects will drive non-residential construction employment still lower by 2018. Commercial and industrial building is expected to decline this year and next. Road, highway and bridge activity slows, with job losses only partially offset by infrastructure stimulus funding. The rise in shutdown/turnaround work results in periodic recruitment challenges for specialized trades, while continuing growth in sustaining and maintenance work becomes an important source of employment. As the economy improves, new housing construction picks up starting in 2018, with ICI building following suit. Recovery in oil sands and other engineering-related work likely won’t begin until later in the forecast period. Although more moderate job growth is expected over the long term, unemployment rates will remain above average this decade compared to the last.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The challenge for Alberta’s construction industry goes far beyond the economy,” added Sparks. “It has to prepare for the retirement of almost 19 percent of its skilled workforce within ten years. That means staying focused on recruitment and training even during a slow growth period.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
British Columbia – Major new projects from LNG plants and pipelines to utilities and transportation work will bolster British Columbia’s construction workforce to new record highs in 2018 and 2019, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“A recruitment and training drive will be required this year and next,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “As many as 17,000 new workers will be needed by 2018 to meet rising labour demands.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows B.C. construction beginning the year in a growth phase with new infrastructure projects and energy development leading investment. Specialized trades will be in demand from 2016 to 2019. As projects wind down, labour market conditions will ease in 2020 and 2021 leaving a gain in new jobs by the end of the scenario period in 2025. Residential construction is expected to remain largely unchanged between now and 2018, before new housing activity declines as population growth slows, while demand for home renovation work rises.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“More than 22 percent of the province’s construction workforce is retiring this decade,” added Sparks. “It’s a huge loss of skills and experience that requires industry planning well in advance.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ottawa – Construction will gain momentum in some regions while others feel the impact of lower commodity prices, delayed or cancelled projects and declining employment. As conditions unfold across the provinces, workforce mobility continues to play an important role in meeting industry’s regional labour requirements.
Mobility, along with an aging workforce are key themes according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Shifting demographics and market conditions require a construction workforce with the flexibility to move with the times and the jobs,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “The reality is that in many provinces, the local workforce may not be enough to counter rising retirements and fill the jobs, especially when major projects gear up.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that while the rate of construction job growth has slowed, most provinces will be recruiting for major projects, including electrical generation and transmission, commercial and industrial building, pipelines and LNG plants from now to 2019. Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador are the exception, with employment falling as current major projects are completed and proposed projects are delayed or cancelled. Overall conditions in Alberta are more complex where new investment declines, however, and there is evidence of potential recruiting challenges in other markets. Over the last decade there has been significant expansion in oil sands capacity and a growing commitment to maintenance and investments to sustain current production.
New home building is flat or declining in most provinces, with the exception of Quebec until 2017, and Ontario and Manitoba, where residential construction is expected to rise from now to 2018. While new housing slows across the scenario period, renovation work continues to rise across all provinces.
Across the 2016-2025 scenario, many of the 11,000 new jobs are in home renovation and industrial maintenance. Up to 250,000 construction workers, or 21 percent of the workforce, is set to retire in the next 10 years.
“Right across Canada, the biggest challenge is offsetting a rapidly aging construction workforce,” added Sparks. “With fewer skilled workers available to replace them, industry is facing a significant gap in skills and experience.”
Highlights of BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Nova Scotia – Growth in home renovation, non-residential construction and the need to replace a rapidly aging workforce are creating new job opportunities for skilled workers in Nova Scotia, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Total employment levels are expected to remain relatively unchanged,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “But new job opportunities are emerging more in non-residential maintenance and residential renovation work.
BuildForce Canada’s 2016–2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows moderate job growth spread across non-residential building construction and civil construction such as new distribution lines and wind projects. New job opportunities are also being created in home renovation and non-residential maintenance work. Renovation activity rises to help sustain the older housing stock as employment in new housing falls.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast shows:
“The retirement of 8,500 skilled workers creates the recruitment challenge this decade,” added Sparks. “Replacing 24 percent of the workforce over the next 10 years is even more difficult when the pool of young job seekers is shrinking.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Alberta – Oil sands job losses, an aging workforce, the departure of out-of-province workers and the ongoing demand for workers to sustain and maintain projects are all behind complex shifts in Alberta’s construction workforce, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“A skills vacuum is a real risk with the exodus of thousands of interprovincial workers within and outside the resource industry,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “The loss of as many as 36,000 skilled workers retiring this decade makes it even more challenging to replace that kind of experience.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that declining oil prices are driving employment lower across all construction sectors, with the projected loss of 31,000 jobs from the peak in 2014 to 2019.
Even as Alberta’s economy weakens, however, there is work in sustaining capital, maintenance, shutdowns/turnarounds and outages for skilled trades such as boilermakers, pipefitters and specialty welders. BuildForce Canada’s annual forecast also shows:
Oil sands construction:
Non-residential construction:
Residential construction:
“Alberta has been through construction cycles before, but nothing this complex,” added Sparks. “That’s why it’s crucial for industry to stay focused on recruiting young people and attracting and keeping those skilled trades that are, or will be in the most demand.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Newfoundland and Labrador – Local construction employers in Newfoundland and Labrador are downsizing their workforces as major resource projects reach completion and others are delayed or cancelled, according to the latest labour market forecast released today from BuildForce Canada.
“The challenge is making sure enough skilled workers are available when projects are ready to move forward,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Shifting project timelines have become the new norm for construction.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows labour requirements declining as large power and offshore oil development projects wind down between now and 2018. New offshore oil projects are expected to resume in 2020. Job losses in housing, commercial and institutional building construction from now to 2019 will be followed by renewed, but moderate growth, with hiring for renovation, maintenance, commercial and institutional building projects toward the end of the scenario period.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Construction employers must stay focused on recruiting, hiring and training as labour requirements and demographics shift, ” added Sparks. “With up to 24 percent of the workforce retiring this decade, that’s a lot of experience that isn’t easily replaced.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Manitoba – Manitoba’s construction sector still has momentum, as major new hydro, transmission and pipeline projects drive construction employment to a new record high in 2018, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“The local construction industry is benefiting from Manitoba’s more diverse economy,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “From power line work to homebuilding and renovation, there are opportunities for skilled tradespeople in construction.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows major projects boost employment over the next two years, stretching Manitoba’s 10-year construction expansion to peak activity levels in 2018. A gradual rise in commercial and industrial building construction and growing demand for maintenance work also create new jobs in almost every year of the scenario. Up to 2,600 new jobs are added over the next 10 years, sustaining moderate employment growth in non-residential construction.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“With more than 20 percent of the construction workforce retiring this decade, employers can’t afford to ease up on recruitment,” added Sparks. “Hiring more young people remains an industry priority.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Ontario – New housing and major infrastructure projects will drive Ontario’s construction job growth to 2019, putting the industry under pressure to build the workforce as retirements rise and the pool of applicants gets smaller, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“As population growth slows and a smaller pool of youth enters the workforce, adding new workers may become progressively more difficult,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “With more than 21 percent of the workforce retiring in the next 10 years, it’s a race against the clock to offset the loss of that much experience.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows the strongest job growth from 2016 to 2019, with new job opportunities spread across most markets and regions. Construction employment peaks in 2019, marking a 25-year expansion that has doubled the size of the workforce. Opportunities shift across the province between big infrastructure projects, industrial work, commercial building activity and a rising cycle in new housing from 2016 to 2018.
“Job growth is the strongest in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Southwestern Ontario,” added Sparks. “From now to 2019, specialized trades are in demand as new housing, infrastructure and major engineering projects ramp up.”
Forecast highlights include the following:
BuildForce Canada’s forecast, by region:
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
Central Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Southwest 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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Prince Edward Island – Major projects, an upswing in residential building and rising retirements are creating opportunities for young job seekers in P.E.I.’s construction industry, according to the latest labour market forecast from BuildForce Canada.
“With more than 27 percent of the construction workforce retiring this decade, retirees are outnumbering new recruits,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “It’s a demographic shift that opens the door for young people considering a career in construction.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows commercial and institutional building projects are driving most of the province’s construction job growth. Highways, bridgework and other major engineering projects will also help boost non-residential construction employment to new high levels in 2017 and again in 2020. A resurgence in new housing activity, along with steady growth in home renovation, will create jobs in residential construction between now and 2021. P.E.I.’s construction workforce will grow by 600 workers, or 10 percent over the scenario period.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The construction industry is relying on young people as well as experienced workers willing to make the move from other sectors and provinces,” added Sparks. “Their skills are needed, especially when construction activity peaks.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
New Brunswick – Proposed resource projects are expected to raise construction employment in New Brunswick higher from 2017 to 2019 while rising retirements add to long-term market challenges, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“The retirement rate in New Brunswick’s construction industry far exceeds the national average at more than 27 percent,” said Rosemary Sparks Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Replacing as many as 8,000 baby boomers this decade puts a lot of pressure on industry to make up for such a significant loss of skills and experience.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows proposed pipeline, marine terminal and resource projects are driving job growth from 2017 to 2019, but much depends on the timing of major projects. Most of the non-residential construction hiring will take place next year, as the workforce returns to the record high level of 2011. Labour requirements in non-residential construction shift after 2020, when planned major projects wind down. Job losses will be partly offset by moderate growth in commercial and institutional building construction, a proposed hydro dam refurbishment project and growing demand in maintenance work. At the end of the scenario period, the construction workforce is expected to have grown by more than 1,800 workers.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Rising retirements and a smaller pool of young people to draw from may create recruiting challenges across the outlook period,” added Sparks. “Companies may need to rely on labour mobility of skilled trades from other sectors or provinces to help meet demand.”
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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
