If there’s anything the construction industry
has learned from the previous recessions,
it’s the danger of not planning ahead. Dur-
ing the ‘80s and ‘90s, industry took its foot
off the gas and eased up on recruitment
and worker training. When the economy
improved and major projects ramped up,
it was caught short without enough skilled
workers. That was a hard lesson. This time,
the construction industry can’t afford not
to prepare for what's coming.
The greying of Canada’s workforce will
have a profound impact on the construc-
tion and maintenance industry. This de-
cade, up to 250,000 construction work-
ers are expected to retire. That’s about
one-quarter of the skilled workforce. It’s
a huge loss of skill and experience that’s
compounded by yet another worrisome
trend: a drop in the birth rate has shrunk
the supply of younger workers. This demo-
graphic one-two punch requires industry
to plan far beyond the current economic
downturn. The reality is that even in a pe-
riod of slower growth, steady recruitment,
hiring and training is a must to build a long-
term sustainable workforce. With so many
new workers required to replace retirees,
the potential risk of a gaping hole in the
skilled workforce is too big to ignore.
Our rapidly aging workforce and low com-
modity prices are the reoccurring trends
that shape BuildForce Canada’s latest
labour market forecast. The 2017-2026
Construction and Maintenance Looking
Forward forecast shows volatile global
markets will continue to slow construction
job growth. While most Canadian provinc-
es are recruiting for major projects, includ-
ing transit expansion and commercial and
industrial building into 2019, the rate of
hiring is now more moderate. New home
building is flat or declining from recent peak
activity levels in most provinces, while
renovation work rises in many regions. De-
spite shifting timelines for major resource
projects, Canada’s construction workforce
is expected to hold its own, with national
Rosemary Sparks is the Executive
Director of BuildForce Canada
FEBRUARY 2017
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