Construction industry employment numbers increased for the year ending in June 2025, adding 4.1%, or 66,400 workers, over the 12-month period.
A closer look at the latest Labour Force Survey data from Statistics Canada, however, shows several varied regional trends as Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia led the way with significant employment gains. Activity in the other provinces was muted by comparison, as our analysis below shows.
Meanwhile, a larger increase in the national construction labour force over the same period (+5%, or 85,100 workers) brought construction’s unemployment rate up by nearly a full percentage point, to 5.3%.
The increases in both employment and the labour force figures suggest that construction has begun its summer busy period – and that new major projects have started or are ramping up. The latest building permit data from Statistics Canada, for May 2025, shows an increase in the value of permits issued nationally of 4.6% compared to the total reported in May 2024. Although delayed by a month, trends in this metric can be a leading indicator for employment metrics.
Year-to-date, the value of building permits is up 5.1% compared to the first five months of 2024 – suggesting a stronger first half in 2025. On the other hand, the number of building permits (year-to-date) is down 5.5%, which may indicate a shift toward larger-scale projects this construction season – a trend that could increase demand for skilled tradespeople if project execution proceeds as expected.
In Ontario, employment increased by 21,700 workers, or 3.7%, over the year ending in June 2025. This growth is closely linked to the start several major institutional projects, including hospitals in Niagara and Mississauga and the anticipated start of work on the Ottawa Civic Hospital in the third quarter of 2025.
Aside from institutional work, building permit activity in Ontario retreated compared to the previous year. Permit activity is down significantly across the province’s residential construction sector (-38%), and less so in the commercial and industrial components.
Alberta, meanwhile, saw an employment increase of 26,500 workers, or just under 11%, for the 12-month period ending in June 2025. Although building permit values in the province were down by 9% for the 12-month period ending in May 2025, notable was an increase in permit values of 4% for residential construction and an increase of 41% in housing starts over the 12-month period ending in May 2025.
British Columbia reported the third-largest employment increase in June, adding 17,900 workers over the year, or 7.1%. Construction activity in the province, measured again by building permit values for the year ending in May 2025, increased by 43%, with a gain of more than 99% in multi-unit residential construction. Although building permit values for non-residential construction in the province were down 22% across the year ending May 2025, activity in the province remains strong, with work ongoing on several major projects, including LNG Canada phases 1 and 2, the Peace River Site C Dam, Woodfibre LNG, hospital projects in Surrey, Vancouver, and New Westminster, and ongoing work on the Millennium (Broadway) Line and Surrey Langley Skytrain projects.
Manitoba (+7,400 workers) and Saskatchewan (+6,500 workers) also reported gains in employment for the 12-month period ending in June 2025. In Manitoba, the increase was driven by growth in the institutional sector and in demand for single-detached homes; in Saskatchewan, growth in the industrial and commercial sectors led the way.
Quebec reported the largest employment decline for the year ending in June 2025, with a contraction of 14,200 workers, or 4.2%. Employment trends across the Atlantic provinces were mixed, with Nova Scotia (+2,500 workers, 5.9%) and Prince Edward Island (+900 workers, 9.4%) reporting increases, and New Brunswick (-700 workers, -2.0%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (-2,100 workers, -9.4%) reporting declines.
Provincially, unemployment rates in June 2025 varied from a low of 2.5% in Saskatchewan to a high of 10.6% in Newfoundland and Labrador. With the exception of New Brunswick at 8.5%, all other provinces reported rates of 6.6% or below.
Construction Key Indicators
