Saturday, December 4, 2021 Women’s Journeyperson Jobs More Adversely Affected by Pandemic than Men’s: Study Newsletters Alberta Local 63 BC Local 68 Manitoba Local 152 Ontario Construction Saskatchewan Local 151 Sectors Construction A recent study of the affect of the pandemic on journeyperson jobs by Statistics Canada shows that women were more adversely affected than men. The study found that among the total population, the difference of those receiving CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) was only 2.1 percent greater for women than men overall. But for female journeypersons (those who received a certificate of qualification from an apprenticeship authority) in a Red Seal trade, the difference was more than 10 times as great, with 61.2 percent of women collecting CERB at least once compared to 36 percent of men—a difference of over 25 percent. The numbers are equally telling for those collecting CERB for 15 weeks or more, with 38.1 percent of women collecting compared to 14.4 percent of men among Red Seal trades. Women also received payments for a longer period of time, 17 weeks compared to 13 weeks for men on average. The biggest differences were among crane operators, ironworkers, and bricklayers. Interestingly, the percentage of roofers, carpenters, and sheet metal workers collecting CERB was greater for men than women. Percentage of Journeypersons Who Received CERB at Least Once Trade Men Women Difference Bricklayer 39.7 50 +11.3% Carpenter 40.7 38.5 -2.2% Crane operator 36 48.9 +22.9% Electrician (construction) 38 39.2 +1.2% Ironworker 39.9 56 +16.1% Plumber 35.1 42.6 +7.5% Refrigeration/air conditioning mechanic 32.7 38.3 +5.6% Roofer 37.8 36.7 -1.1% Sheet metal worker 42.2 38.3 -3.9% Steamfitter/pipefitter 43.4 47.1 +3.7% Welder 37.9 43.9 +6% Source: Statistics Canada You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026