In this five-part series, BuildForce Canada presents and examines some of the key data points emerging from the past 12 months in the construction sector. In this post, the last of the series, we look at workforce development trends emerging in construction.
As we close out this year’s labour market review, it’s worth stepping back to recognize that beneath the numbers, cranes, and concrete of Canada’s construction industry lies something far more foundational: people.
In 2024, Canada’s construction workforce didn’t just hold steady; it evolved. In an industry long seen as difficult to access for many groups, new momentum emerged – momentum toward broader inclusion, younger talent, and stronger recruitment systems. Women, immigrants, and Indigenous Peoples continued to make meaningful inroads, and a new generation of workers began to see a future for themselves in construction.
While there is still ground to cover, 2024 gave reason for optimism. The industry isn’t just building Canada’s infrastructure, it is also building its future workforce, and it’s doing so with greater awareness, purpose, and reach than ever before.
Women continued to make inroads in the sector
Although women remain underrepresented in Canada’s construction industry, 2024 marked another year of meaningful progress.
Women accounted for 13.6% of construction employment – still well below their 47.2% share of total employment across all industries – but their numbers are moving in the right direction. In a year when total construction employment rose by just 0.4%, employment among women grew by 3.5%. Most encouraging of all, young women aged 15 to 24 years saw a significant employment increase of 10.4%, suggesting that recruitment and awareness efforts are beginning to resonate with the next generation.
This growth in the number of women joining the construction industry – especially over the past couple of years – has been encouraging and has helped boost female representation to new heights. Women now represent close to 14% of all those employed in construction across Canada. That figure is the highest share ever recorded since the introduction of the Labour Force Survey in 1976.
This growth wasn’t evenly spread across the country, however:
- Quebec (+6,100; +15%), Alberta (+4,500; +13%), New Brunswick (+500; +16%), and Prince Edward Island (+400; +67%) led the way.
- Ontario recorded a slight decline overall, but growth was strong in key urban centres such as Toronto (+3,800; +12%), Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (+900; +43%), and St. Catherines-Niagara (+700; +47%).
- Nova Scotia (-400; -9%), Manitoba (-700; -8%), British Columbia (-700; -2%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-600; -22%), and Saskatchewan (-1,300; -25%) all saw declines.
Women found expanding opportunities in specialty trade contracting, and especially among building equipment contractors, where employment among this group grew by 16%. In fact, nearly half of all women working in construction in 2024 were employed by specialty trade contractors, underscoring how these roles, which span both the residential and non-residential sectors, have become important entry points.
Growth was also seen in residential building construction, particularly in Alberta, and in heavy and civil engineering projects in Quebec, where highway and bridge work contributed to a 4% national increase in employment among women in that segment.
Immigrants provide a growing and young labour force
Immigrants, too, continued to play an increasingly important role in shaping Canada’s construction workforce in 2024.
In 2024, 6.79 million of those employed across all industries in Canada were immigrants (landed and non-landed immigrants). Among those working in Canada’s construction industry, 369,100 were immigrants – representing 22.9% of all those employed in construction across Canada. By comparison, immigrants accounted for 32.7% of total employment across all industries.
The growth in employment among immigrants was broad-based, with only New Brunswick (-20%) and Ontario (-0.2%) recording declines in 2024.
Importantly, young immigrants (aged 15 to 24 years) led the charge, with an astonishing 38% employment increase, suggesting that construction is increasingly seen as a viable career pathway for new Canadians.
Immigrant workers gravitated toward the specialty trade contractor segment, especially building equipment and building finishing contractors. However, representation remains relatively low in heavy and civil engineering construction, where immigrants account for just 13% of the workforce, compared to 23% across construction overall, a gap that could be addressed through targeted outreach and training.
A year of mixed results for Indigenous Peoples
Among Canada’s workforce, Indigenous Peoples have historically shown a stronger-than-average participation in construction, with 10% of all employed Indigenous workers working in the sector in 2024. That’s a full two percentage points higher than construction’s national share of employment.
In total, Indigenous workers made up 4.4% of construction employment in 2024 – well above their 3.4% share of total employment across all industries. However, this year also brought challenges. Construction employment among Indigenous Peoples declined by 4.4%, driven by sizable drops in Quebec (-15%), Alberta (-8%), and British Columbia (-7%). Smaller declines were also seen in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
There were, however, reasons for optimism for this group.
- One of these reasons was that, at the sub-provincial level, employment grew in cities like Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary, which are home to some of the country’s largest Indigenous populations.
- Encouragingly, young Indigenous workers aged 15 to 24 years saw a 20% increase in employment, offering hope that a new generation is finding its place in construction.
- Lastly, employment among Indigenous Peoples also grew in heavy and civil engineering, especially in highway, street, and bridge construction. These sectors often offer long-term, high-paying jobs close to Indigenous communities.
While the overall dip in 2024 suggests work remains to be done, these pockets of growth, especially among youth and in key sectors, are a strong foundation for the future.
Young people are stepping in
With a strong wave of retirements already underway in Canada’s construction sector – and more broadly across all industries – young people are stepping into vacant roles in construction in large numbers.
Beyond identity and background, one of the most hopeful stories in 2024 was the growing participation of young people in construction. Workers aged 15 to 24 years saw a 13% increase in employment, adding 22,300 workers – more than enough to offset a loss of 17,200 workers in the core working-age group (25 to 54 years).
Every province except Ontario and Manitoba recorded gains among young workers, with particularly strong growth in:
- Quebec, led by Montreal (+143%)
- British Columbia, especially Vancouver (+27%)
- Alberta, where residential and public-sector construction opened new opportunities
Young workers found jobs most often in specialty trade contracting and residential building construction, segments that can serve as strong entry points for long-term careers in the trades. Their presence, energy, and ambition are a vital asset in an industry facing increasing retirements and long-term demographic decline.
Apprenticeship momentum continued
While not all those who pursue a career in Canada’s construction industry choose to pursue an apprenticeship, participation in these programs is an important indicator for workforce development – especially among Red Seal trades.
Full-year data on apprenticeship trends for 2024 is not yet available, but 2023 data offers a glimpse of the positive momentum underway. That year, just over 71,900 individuals registered for a construction trade apprenticeship, marking an 18% increase from 2022 and a 33% increase over 2021.
The surge in registrations wasn’t limited to one province or trade. Across the country, nearly every province and territory contributed to the uptick – led by Alberta, where registrations climbed 57%, and British Columbia, which saw a 36% increase. The only outlier was Quebec, where registrations declined, primarily due to a sharp drop in the province’s carpentry programs.
One of the most encouraging developments was the rise in female participation. Women accounted for 8% of new registrations in 2023, up from 6.3% the year prior. In fact, apprenticeship registrations among women increased by 26%, outpacing the 17% growth among men. This upward shift, while still modest in overall share, suggests that recruitment efforts targeting women in trades are beginning to bear fruit.
Certain trades stood out for their popularity. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters led the way with a 46% increase in registrations, followed closely by heavy duty equipment mechanics (+40%), welders (+33%), and sheet metal workers (+32%). For women in particular, the greatest gains came in sheet metal, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, and heavy equipment mechanics – trades that are seeing broader industry demand, and which open doors for more diverse participation.
Apprenticeship completions also ticked up slightly in 2023, rising by 2% and nudging the national four-year completion rate to 50%, up from 48% in 2022. While still below ideal levels, the improvement is a sign that retention and support systems for apprentices are slowly strengthening.
These apprenticeship trends tell a hopeful story: more Canadians – not just young men, but women and people from other underrepresented groups – are stepping forward to learn the trades that will shape Canada’s future. As the construction industry continues to modernize, invest, and diversify, this renewed interest in apprenticeship training could not come at a better time.
Building toward a stronger future
If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that the work of building Canada goes hand in hand with the work of building its workforce. The signs are encouraging. Young people are joining in larger numbers. Women are expanding their presence – especially in trades once thought inaccessible. Immigrants are beginning to see construction as a viable and fulfilling path. And Indigenous youth are stepping forward, ready to shape the next chapter of Canada’s built environment.
Still, challenges remain. Representation gaps persist, and retention, training, and career advancement pathways must continue to evolve. But the foundations are strong, and so are the commitment across industry, government, and community organizations to building a more inclusive construction workforce.
At BuildForce Canada, we’ll continue tracking these trends and supporting stakeholders across the country with the data, insight, and foresight needed to turn today’s momentum into tomorrow’s progress.
For more information about these and other trends, click through to our 2025 to 2034 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward highlight reports.
Construction Key Indicators
