Major Projects Fuel Construction Job Growth Over Medium Term | BuildForce Canada

Major Projects Fuel Construction Job Growth Over Medium Term


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:

  • Growth in new housing sees employment in the residential labour force peaking in 2016, creating 1,000 new jobs before slowing across the remainder of the forecast.
  • Renovation and maintenance employment rises in steady, but small, annual increments across the forecast period.
  • More than 19 percent of the construction workforce is expected to retire over the next decade.

“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, sparks@buildforce.ca or (905)-852-9186

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