Tuesday, August 22, 2017 Saskatchewan Construction Outlook Newsletters BuildForce Canada, an organization that provides construction labour market information to the nation, recently released a report on Saskatchewan’s construction outlook. According to BuildForce, Saskatchewan’s economy expanded rapidly over the past decade due to high commodities prices. The price of potash peaked in 2009, while the price of oil began to fall in 2014. According to the report, “lower commodity prices and weaker global demand slowed resource developments and contributed to slower population growth and a decline in housing starts in 2013 and 2014. The oil price collapse that started in late 2014 accelerated in 2015, which further dampened overall economic conditions in the province, and housing starts and residential employment continued to fall in 2015.” BuildForce predicts that employment in the residential construction sector will stabilize and that a second wave of utility, mining, and pipeline projects will bring it back to its previous peak sometime between 2019 and 2021. In the near future, nonresidential construction employment will likely weaken slightly due to a decline in ICI construction in 2017. After 2019, work is expected to pick up due to major projects. It should peak in 2021. After the projects have been completed, employment will decline again, but demand will increase for maintenance work, which will help to keep employment relatively high. The report also noted that “Saskatchewan has cultivated a large, young, and skilled workforce, trained to meet specialized residential and engineering sector demands. The extraordinary resource expansion of the last decade pushed construction unemployment rates well below historical levels and attracted thousands of workers to the province. The province’s rising unemployment rates between 2013 and 2016 are attributed to both job losses and workers returning from other provinces as work slows in other regions. These changing market dynamics created new challenges for Saskatchewan following several years of strong growth. The current pause in growth provides an opportunity for the labour market to re-calibrate to meet the changing nature of construction demands as residential slows and major projects wind down combined with the need to address the aging workforce.” Source: BuildForce Canada’s Report, Construction & Maintenance Looking Forward—Saskatchewan, page 2. You might be interested in Strathcona Mechanical Workers Approve New Agreement with Wage and Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026 Ready To Deliver 3 Jun 2026 The Miracle of Many Hands 2 Jun 2026 Velocity Mechanical Workers Secure New Contract with Wage and Benefit Improvements 1 Jun 2026