Tuesday, November 19, 2024

A Layoff Might Be an Opportunity

With seasonal adjustments in the labour market, you might find yourself laid off at some point this winter. Here’s how to make the most of down time

Newsletters Ontario Construction

By Andrew Regnerus, Ontario Construction Coordinator

2025 Employment Forecast

What is the outlook for winter work? Some sectors face a slowdown while others hardly adjust their workload for the season. Some members work in subsectors that expect full employment into the new year, whereas other members perform work that is expected to be less in demand in 2025.

After years of strength, the construction labour market is softening a bit. Like everything else, it is contextual: the market seems strong if you are working and soft if you face a layoff.

Last November, CLAC representatives again provided input into BuildForce’s labour market information econometrics. BuildForce’s labour economists try to make construction and workforce planning more predictable. Their reports will be published in the coming months after consultation.

What I see are a few factors that impact each other. High interest rates hurt residential construction. However, robust ICI (industrial, commercial, and institutional) and heavy construction drew workers from the lower paid residential sector. Lowering bank rates should cause a resurgence in the residential market, while lower demand for ICI construction can cause workers to migrate back to residential work.

What If I’m Laid Off?

Indeed, the key isn’t whether there is a lot of construction in your area or whether your neighbours are working or laid off. Your own employment situation is what impacts you and your family.

If you are out of work, it may be an opportunity to find another employer, to relocate, or to upskill.

CLAC Jobs

While some employers will see slowdowns in their workload during the upcoming months, others will have hiring needs throughout the winter season. You may live near a site where a CLAC-signatory contractor has a $300 million project and needs workers. Or you may hear of a contractor who is on the tail end of a project and needs some extra hands to help with their end-of-job rush.

The CLAC Jobs Team is here to help connect you to these potential opportunities by getting to know you and what your work interests are. Contact CLAC Jobs at jobscentral@clac.ca for details on how you can get started!

CLAC Training

It could be that a short slow period might be just the thing to recharge your batteries after a busy couple of years. If you are going to be off, think about skills and safety upgrading. Use the time to requalify for tickets that need to be renewed, and look for added skills that make you a more desired worker.

One example is CLAC’s new supervisor program (supervisor@clac.ca) that is offered in segments called microcredentials. You can learn at your own pace in your free time.

Even if you are not in the supervisory track, you can always benefit from knowing what the bosses like to see in a worker. Contact CLAC Training at ontraining@clac.ca.

We hope that all of you can work without interruption. But if you are out of work, we hope that you will take advantage of the down time and that you will find good, meaningful work before long.

A Layoff Might Be an Opportunity

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