Canada’s Construction Industry

Size and structure

Scale – The construction industry is one of Canada’s largest industries. Construction represents 6 percent of the Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) and employs more than 850,000 Canadians who engage in more than $75 billion of work every year. The industry has been growing in recent years and construction employment has risen steadily since 1995. There are more than a quarter of a million firms in the construction industry, many of which are quite small. Among residential construction companies, 90 percent have less than five employees, and only one percent has more than 50. In non-residential construction there are more larger firms, but 70 percent employ five or fewer people.

The construction industry is not only large but also varied. The industry can be divided into residential (which includes construction or remodelling and renovation of single-family and multi-family residential buildings) and non-residential. Non-residential is further broken down into three smaller categories: heavy industrial (construction of factories, such as cement, automotive or power plants), institutional and commercial (which includes the construction of stadiums, grain elevators, and indoor swimming pools), and civil engineering (which includes entire engineering projects, such as highways, dams, water and sewer lines, power and communication lines, and bridges). In each of these sectors, the job opportunities vary from one province to another. Click here for more information on the construction industry.

To find out more about the types of construction activities across Canada, you can use this map of Canada... Just follow the links for information about the construction activities in each province and territory.

Who works in construction?

  • One out of 16 workers employed in Canada earns a living in the construction industry.
  • More than 850,000 Canadian men and women are employed in many diverse construction trades, occupations, and professions.
  • Though the construction industry is made up of mostly men, the industry is working hard to recruit growing numbers of women, Aboriginal people, youth, and immigrants to Canada.

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Rights and responsibilities of the employee and the employer in Canada

Canada has a long history of partnership between government, business and labour to make fair and safe workplace standards for Canadian workers.  Standards protect the rights of workers and employers, and encourage a good working relationship between employers and employees. 

Workplaces can be either federally or provincially/territorially regulated. More than 90% of all workplaces in Canada are governed by provincial/territorial laws. At the federal level, the Canada Labour Code governs a number of industries, primarily those that are truly national such as broadcasting and air transportation, and those that cross provincial boundaries such as railroad and road construction, and telephone and cable systems. You can find a full list of these industries at the Labour site of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. 

Most construction sites are governed by provincial/territorial labour standard codes that cover, for example, union membership rights and responsibilities, health and safety regulations, hours of work, vacations and over-time. To find out more, choose your province of work from the list of Ministries of Labour.  Some provinces/territories, such as Alberta, also provide this information in different languages specifically for temporary foreign workers. 

Finally, in Canada, personal information is protected under the federal Privacy Act and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, as well as under provincial and territorial privacy legislation. These Acts give you control over your personal information by requiring organizations to get your permission to collect, use or share information about you. For information on your rights, visit the Privacy Commissioner's website.

For more information on rights and responsibilities of the employer and employee, see the section Coming to Canada: Prior to arriving.

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British Columbia

  • Thanks to government stimulus, British Columbia's construction labour markets will experience a soft landing in contrast to the declining activity in other industries.
  • Boilermakers, construction estimators, construction millwrights, crane operators, heavy equipment operators, ironworkers, truck drivers and welders are among the workers most in demand.
  • Up to 6,400 construction workers are needed to keep pace with new projects in the province, as well as another 26,000 new workers to replace retiring baby boomers from now until 2017.
  • British Columbia is actively expanding immigration and the search for temporary foreign workers.

Alberta

  • In 2009, Alberta’s construction labour markets will be weak compared to past years.
  • As the recession recedes in 2010, commodity prices revive and big energy-related projects come back on stream in 2013. Increases in residential construction are felt by 2012 and non-residential projects start up in 2013.
  • Alberta will need 30,000 new workers, both as additions to the workforce and replacements for retiring baby boomers, to keep up with demand by 2017.
  • Alberta is actively expanding immigration and the search for temporary foreign workers.

Saskatchewan

  • Demand for construction workers in Saskatchewan is driven by industrial projects and increased civil engineering and institutional building as a result of fiscal stimulus.
  • Boilermakers, construction managers and supervisors, construction millwrights, crane operators, heavy equipment operators and mechanics, ironworkers, plumbers, truck drivers, electricians and welders are among the workers most in demand.
  • As many as4,300 new workers are required to meet the needs of the expected rise in construction activity between now and 2014, as well as another 4,400 workers to replace retiring baby boomers between now and 2017.

Manitoba

  • Despite the recession, construction employment is on the rise in Manitoba with federal government stimulus adding to local projects already planned.
  • Boilermakers, construction estimators, construction millwrights, crane operators, heavy equipment operators, ironworkers and truck drivers are among the workers most in demand.
  • As many as 5,400 new workers are required to keep pace with new projects, as well as another 5,300 workers to replace retiring baby boomers between now and 2017.

Ontario

  • Construction labour markets in Ontario will avoid the most severe damage caused by the recession, enjoying a soft landing as compared to other industries.
  • The recession causes weakened housing and industrial construction, but the balance of Ontario’s construction industry is expected to see employment gains in 2009 and 2010.
  • Bricklayers, construction managers and estimators, construction millwrights, crane operators, heavy equipment operators and mechanics, residential home builders and renovators, truck drivers and welders are among the workers most in demand.
  • As many as 75,000 new workers are needed to keep pace with new projects over the next nine years, as well as another 60,000 workers to replace retiring baby boomers.
  • With so many workers retiring, attracting, training and retaining skilled workers will be more important than ever.

Quebec

  • Construction activity in Quebec is shifting from housing to resource-based industrial and engineering projects.
  • Construction employment in Quebec is expected to grow steadily from now to 2017.
  • Up to 48,000 new workers are required to meet the needs of the expected rise in construction activity between 2009 and 2017, as well as another 35,000 workers to replace retiring baby boomers between now and 2017.

New Brunswick

  • New Brunswick construction employment will be driven by major industrial projects that will pause as the recession takes bite, but resume in 2011 and beyond.
  • At the peak of construction activity in 2012 and 2013, demands are most severe for boilermakers, insulators, pipefitters, and ironworkers.
  • About 2,400 new workers are needed to keep pace with new projects over the next nine years, as well as an additional 5,200 to replace retiring baby boomers.

Nova Scotia

  • Construction activity will help Nova Scotia weather the recession with the creation of new jobs during 2009 and 2010
  • Resource-related projects and government infrastructure activity are providing momentum in the non-residential sector, which more than makes up for the loss of jobs in residential building due to a decline in housing starts.
  • Labour markets may tighten periodically as a result of large and coinciding projects.
  • About 600 workers are needed to meet demands for new construction, plus as many as 5,900 workers to replace retiring baby boomers between now and 2017.

Prince Edward Island

  • Construction activity helps Prince Edward Island weather the recession.
  • Employment growth of about 2% in construction trades is expected over the 2012-2016 period. Government infrastructure work spurs gains in non-residential construction, which more than compensates for the loss of jobs in residential construction resulting from declines in housing starts.
  • As many as 1,000 workers are needed to replace retiring baby boomers between now and 2017.

Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Its non-residential construction cycle, driven by major industrial projects, is providing Newfoundland with strength during the recession.
  • Construction employment is expected to grow on average by 3.7% per year between now and 2017 – by far the fastest rate of all provinces.
  • More than 3,200 construction workers will be needed to keep pace with new projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as another 3,200 new workers to replace retiring baby boomers from now until 2017. 

This page last updated December 2009