Manitoba’s Construction Workforce To Hit New Record High

Manitoba – Manitoba’s construction sector still has momentum, as major new hydro, transmission and pipeline projects drive construction employment to a new record high in 2018, according to the latest labour market forecast released today by BuildForce Canada.

“The local construction industry is benefiting from Manitoba’s more diverse economy,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “From power line work to homebuilding and renovation, there are opportunities for skilled tradespeople in construction.”

BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows major projects boost employment over the next two years, stretching Manitoba’s 10-year construction expansion to peak activity levels in 2018. A gradual rise in commercial and industrial building construction and growing demand for maintenance work also create new jobs in almost every year of the scenario. Up to 2,600 new jobs are added over the next 10 years, sustaining moderate employment growth in non-residential construction.  

BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:

• Between now and 2018, modest growth in new housing construction creates as many as 1,500 new jobs before slowing in 2020. Home renovation and maintenance work add 900 jobs across the scenario period.  
• Cyclical changes in construction employment may require workers willing to move from other provinces, sectors and industries.
• As many as 8,200 skilled workers are needed to replace retiring baby boomers over the next 10 years.

“With more than 20 percent of the construction workforce retiring this decade, employers can’t afford to ease up on recruitment,” added Sparks. “Hiring more young people remains an industry priority.”  

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

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program