Monday, December 2, 2019

Positive Job Outlook for BC Construction

Although there have been significant changes in BC’s construction sector in recent years, unemployment continues to be at a historic low. The outlook is positive for job opportunities in the construction sector.

BuildForce Canada, an organization that provides information and data for the construction industry and workforce management, has released its 2019 BC construction industry 10-year forecast. For workers in the construction industry, conditions look favourable, as the number of retirees are outstripping new entrants to the labour force. Overall employment in construction over the next 3 years is expected to rise by an additional 14,600 jobs, making BC one of the fastest growing construction markets in Canada.

The Lower Mainland and northeastern British Columbia are the fastest growing economic regions by percentage, while Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland have the greatest number of job opportunities across sectors. Between 2018-2028, the BC Ministry of Labour projects 36,500 construction job openings in the Lower Mainland, 4,580 in the island and coastal region, and 3,040 in the northeast. Geographically, residential growth is highest in the Lower Mainland, and employers face recruiting challenges to meet demands, despite a real estate market downturn.

Although new residential construction employment rates are slowing in the Lower Mainland, this is offset by increased demand for renovation work and is expected to resurge toward the end of the decade. Levels of demand for skilled tradespeople are also exceeding supply in BC. Trades, transport, and equipment operators are in the top five sector groupings for most projected job openings over the next ten years by the BC government’s Labour Market Outlook. Due to the aging population, management positions are especially in demand, offering advancement opportunities for motivated workers.

CLAC has seen new opportunities for members on the LNG project in Kitimat. According to the BCCPA Economic Outlook, “approval of the $40 billion LNG Canada project in the last quarter of 2018 is expected to create 10,000 construction jobs and 950 permanent jobs.”

Positive Job Outlook for BC Construction

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