Saskatchewan – This year marks the start of a new, but more moderate growth phase in non-residential construction in Saskatchewan, with employment driven by major mining and infrastructure projects, as well as steady gains in maintenance work in the near term, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“While resource development is slowing, there is still momentum,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “We’re seeing two very distinct trends, with residential building declining and non-residential building sustained at high levels, although much depends on the timing of proposed major projects.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that after stalling last year, non-residential construction will expand from 2016 to 2021, creating 4,000 jobs. As projects wind down after 2021, engineering-related work declines, with job losses offset by moderate growth in industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) building construction. The housing downturn is expected to continue, with the residential workforce dropping back to the pre-2011 level of 13,000 workers. Overall, employment declines by 3,100 jobs, or 7 percent, by the end of the scenario period in 2025, driven primarily by the decline in new housing.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Saskatchewan’s construction workforce is experiencing a demographic shift,” added Sparks. “The industry will need to recruit young people to replace as many as 8,800 skilled workers reaching retirement this decade."
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
With Canada’s home renovation industry continuing to grow, new construction holding steady, and an aging workforce with many people nearing retirement, Canada’s residential construction industry will need more than 129,000 new skilled workers over the next decade. This is according to the new residential construction labour market information report, the first report of its kind, released today by BuildForce Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA).
“Our report recognizes the specific needs and challenges facing residential construction employers,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “By tracking cycles in new housing construction, trends in renovation, and impending retirements of workers across the industry, we’re helping employers make the most informed decisions possible about labour force needs in this important sector.”
The new residential construction report is the first in Canada to focus exclusively on supply and demand for home builders and renovators.
“We’re delighted by this new partnership and the insights this work will bring to our industry,” said Kevin Lee, Chief Executive Officer of CHBA. “This new report includes market indicators not found anywhere else, ensuring our industry is better equipped to anticipate and respond to changing conditions.”
BuildForce Canada’s first annual Labour Market Assessments for the Residential Construction Industry 2015-2024 report shows renovation and maintenance work will rise steadily as the housing stock ages, already more than $60 million annually and making up more than half of the investment in residential construction. With modest growth overall in new housing construction, including declines in some regions, demand for residential construction workers will continue to shift to the renovation sector.
The report shows the biggest challenge across all provinces is the aging residential construction workforce and the need to replace about 114,000 skilled workers retiring this decade.
BuildForce Canada’s first annual Labour Market Assessments for the Residential Construction Industry 2015-2024 report, including details for each province, can be found 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.
Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) is the voice of Canada's residential construction industry with over 8,500 member firms across Canada. CHBA members come from every area of Canada's housing industry – new home builders, renovators, land developers, trade contractors, product and material manufacturers, building product suppliers, lending institutions, insurance providers, service professionals and other affiliated organizations.
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Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program
Alberta – Declining oil prices are having an impact on the province’s construction industry, resulting in new project cancellations, delays and job losses. The industry, howewver, is expected to rebound after a three-year downturn, according to the latest forecast from BuildForce Canada.
“While oil prices have sent construction into a downturn, the industry will recover,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “While it’s early to pinpoint when that will happen, our forecast projects a near-term recovery, with jobs in engineering construction rising gradually from 2018 to 2024, as oil prices come back up.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows falling oil prices are slowing Alberta’s investment in new major capital projects. Sustaining capital projects and maintenance of existing facilities, however, are continuing, and this work accounts for a significant share of total oil sands investment.
New project delays result in job losses from 2015 to 2017, primarily in engineering and residential construction. A modest down cycle, followed by gradual growth, drives up institutional, commercial and industrial construction employment by 8,000 jobs to 2024.
Oil prices are projected to rise after their fall in 2014-2015. As prices recover, oil sands investment resumes, with production supported by pipeline and other infrastructure that is now being planned and built. By 2024, construction employment is up 6 percent from record levels in 2014, with job gains in all markets.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Despite current conditions, local employers should stay focused on recruitment,” added Sparks. “This is key to building the workforce, so it is ready when growth resumes, and retirements rise.”
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
Newfoundland and Labrador – Major resource projects that have dominated the province’s 10-year construction boom will peak this year and create a second wave of new jobs starting in 2019, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“The challenge is sustaining a skilled workforce as major projects cycle up, down and up again over the forecast period,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “These employment shifts require long-range planning and a real industry focus on recruitment.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows major projects, from large mining, power stations and transmission lines to offshore drilling platforms, will drive construction hiring to a new peak in 2015. As these projects wind down, proposed new offshore resource developments drive a second, smaller wave of hiring later in the scenario period from 2019 to 2022. Residential activity slows over the next few years, driven by declines in new housing, before a marginal rise over the medium term with investment below the 2012 peak.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“That means attracting and training more young people now, to help offset the loss of more than a quarter of the workforce that’s heading into retirement,” added Sparks.
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
British Columbia – With the startup of major projects, B.C.’s construction job growth will lead all other provinces from now to 2024, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Big engineering projects are starting, and commercial and residential building is gaining momentum,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “These industry dynamics will create a lot of new construction jobs and the need for steady recruiting, hiring and training.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows most construction markets gaining strength each year through the forecast period. New resource projects set the stage, with employment levels rising by up to 70 percent by 2018. Growth is sustained beyond that by ongoing activity in industrial, commercial and institutional building. This will create short-term hiring peaks for select tradespeople in 2018. Job growth across most trades and occupations is expected to reach new historical highs by 2024.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Over 24 percent of the construction workforce is retiring this decade, and local employers need to plan for that,” added Sparks. “The industry is losing years of skill and experience that can’t be 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
Ottawa – The composition of resource-related investments is changing after more than a decade-long construction expansion, driven by new resource developments. Major infrastructure projects, sustaining capital and maintenance work that support Canada’s new resource capacity become important drivers of labour market demands, according the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“As oil investments slow, opportunities continue in pipeline, transportation systems, electricity generation and distribution projects,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “New jobs are being created, supporting current and future resource production.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows that Canada’s construction workforce must meet the demands of new and ongoing resource development, as well as sustaining and maintenance work. Despite weaker conditions at times during the 10-year forecast period, the workforce continues to grow, with 81,000 new jobs created. Industry’s bigger challenge is offsetting the rising number of retirements. Up to 250,000 construction workers, or 21 percent of the workforce, is set to retire in the next decade.
“Replacing that many retirees is an ongoing challenge,” added Sparks. “Industry can’t afford to let up on recruitment, whether it’s attracting young people, workers from other industries, or from outside the country.”
BuildForce Canada’s annual forecast also shows:
Residential construction: Employment rises modestly across Canada from now to 2024, with stronger gains in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. More than half of residential construction investment will be in renovation and maintenance work. Residential construction is more cyclical in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Alberta, where resource project cycles drive new housing lower across the scenario period.
Non-residential construction: Employment grows gradually to 2024 with the strongest gains in the West. Engineering projects drive employment cycles in Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan. In Alberta, oil price declines drive oil and gas construction lower until 2017, when job growth resumes. Commercial construction is a steady source of new construction jobs across all provinces.
Highlights of BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 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
Nova Scotia – With a shrinking youth population and the retirement of more than 8,000 construction workers over the coming decade, Nova Scotia’s construction employers need to stay focused on recruitment, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Labour mobility is a must to bolster the local construction workforce, especially during peak periods,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “With 27 percent of the workforce retiring over the next 10 years, recruiters are under real pressure to make up for that huge loss in skills and experience.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows a modest rise in non-residential construction work. Hiring peaks from 2019-2021, driven by shipyard upgrades and expansion and commercial projects. Steady job growth in renovation work helps to offset a decline in new housing construction. Overall, construction employment rises across the forecast period, with a modest increase of 1,100 new jobs.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“Nova Scotia’s construction industry will need to replenish its aging workforce with young people,” added Sparks. “The challenge is attracting enough first-time workers to offset the baby boomers leaving the 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: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, [email protected] or (905)-852-9186
Funded by the Government of Canada
Prince Edward Island – After a modest decline in 2015, construction employment gains in most years with steady demand for new housing and commercial building, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“Even modest expansion over the next five years may challenge labour markets as construction employment rises to record levels starting in 2016 and peaking in 2020,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada.
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows moderate gains in construction investment. Engineering construction is mostly unchanged, while the largest and most consistent gains are in commercial building, which rises steadily to 2024. Following declines in 2013 and 2014, new housing is projected to rise over the next five years. Rising construction activity is expected to create almost 600 new jobs from now until 2024.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“The local construction industry needs new workers,” added Sparks. “Replacing retirees and keeping up with rising demand requires long-range planning and aggressive recruitment.”
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
Manitoba – Skilled trades workers are in demand in Manitoba, especially during the next few years, as major hydroelectric and transmission projects drive job growth, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“The biggest challenge for industry will be ensuring qualified workers are available, as projects ramp up this year and next,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “During peak periods, industry may need to step up recruitment efforts to attract skilled tradespeople from outside the province.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows construction employment in Manitoba is expected to increase by 3,700 news jobs, a 9 percent increase during the outlook period. Demand will be strongest over the next two years, as hiring peaks for many specialized trades in 2016 and 2017, followed by more moderate employment gains over the long term. Job growth is driven by large-scale power generation and transmission projects. Engineering construction is expected to peak in 2016, commercial and industrial building rises steadily over the forecast period, while growth resumes this year in the province’s housing sector.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“With up to 22 percent of the province’s construction workforce retiring over the next decade, training and recruiting is a top priority for local employers,” added Sparks. “For anyone considering a career in construction, there is no better time.”
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
Saskatchewan – Construction job growth is expected to continue over the next five years in the province, driven by large-scale resource and infrastructure projects, according to the latest forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.
“These projects are creating demand for workers with specific skills,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Local employers will need to continue to recruit between now and 2019 to keep pace.”
BuildForce Canada’s 2015-2024 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows the extraordinary decade-long run in construction job growth will carry on until 2019. Large-scale resource and infrastructure projects, underway and proposed, will increase labour requirements over the medium term, peaking in 2019. Activity slows across the remainder of the forecast period, but stays well above historical levels. Industrial and commercial building adds momentum, with the rate of job growth exceeding 5 percent each year, from now until 2017.
BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:
“That means replacing up to 8,600 retirees over the next 10 years,” added Sparks. “It’s an industry loss that translates into a great opportunity for youth interested in a career in construction.”
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
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
