Canada: The Construction Jobs Hotspot

Canada’s labour market has seen strong growth in 2019, with the construction industry part of the notable gains made. In April 2019, 29,000 construction jobs in Canada were created, signalling the start of the summer construction season as projects get ready to break ground imminently.

The Move to Construction Jobs

With a wealth of natural resources at their disposal, Canadian jobs have typically been more focused on the manufacturing sector in the past. This increase in the number of construction jobs in Canada underlines the large shift from manufacturing-based employment to construction-based work. In 2000, there were nearly 3 manufacturing jobs to every construction job, whereas today there are 1.2 manufacturing jobs for every construction job in Canada. A marked difference like this shows just how much the country is expanding and how busy the construction sector in Canada is.

Regional Construction Hotspots

The main areas where construction jobs in Canada increased were in Ontario and British Columbia. These are likely to take centre stage with regards to construction jobs in Canada for some time, owing to the current and upcoming pipeline of projects.

Construction Jobs in Ontario

Ontario in particular is set to remain as one of the construction hotspots, especially for rail projects, driving demand for rail systems engineers in Canada. Of the 13 transit projects currently in procurement, 3 are for new light rapid transit projects in Toronto/Hamilton area, and 10 are for upgrading the Regional Express Rail systems in the area, including installing new track and stations. In fact, non-residential projects are set to reach peak levels of activity in 2020 and remain there for some time, creating ample opportunities for construction professionals. Add in the aging workforce to the existing recruitment needs and over 100,000 construction jobs in Ontario will need to be filled over the next decade alone. Quantity surveyors, estimators, project managers and site managers all have good outlooks with respect to job prospects, according to the Job Bank of Canada.

Construction Jobs in British Columbia

British Columbia, on the other hand, is at the start of a construction surge, with an ambitious infrastructure programme of their own, several large utilities projects, as well as a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, and the expansion of Vancouver International Airport. The Broadway Subway Project, a CAD$2.9 billion light and rapid rail project, is due to start next year, just one of many rail projects outlined in the region’s 10-year investment plan.

Over the next three years alone, there will be a 20% increase of non-residential construction jobs in British Columbia. Quantity surveyors, estimators, commercial managers and civil engineers all have good outlooks with respect to job prospects, according to the Job Bank of Canada. Also interestingly, British Columbia has some of the largest wages for construction jobs in Canada, indicating just how difficult it is to find skilled staff in this area.  

Interested? Find Out More

If you’ve ever thought about making the leap into working in Canada, the future is definitely bright. With an unprecedented surge of investment and world-leading portfolio of P3 projects, there has never been a better time to find your next construction job in Canada. And by partnering with a specialist recruitment consultant, we can help you find the best project to suit your strengths with our local knowledge of the Canadian construction market. Visit our Canada jobs page to view our growing range of vacancies, or alternatively, send us your CV to be the first to know about upcoming jobs in your area of interest.

About the Author

Steve Thomas
Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada
I am responsible for the Maxim Recruitment office in the UK where our team of recruitment consultants specialise in the recruitment of quantity surveyors, commercial managers, delay, dispute and claims consultants for civil engineering and building contractors and specialist construction consultancies.  I am also responsible for growing our recruitment operation in Canada and the USA where we are increasingly busy.  I have over 20 years’ experience in construction recruitment and enjoy working on both contingency and search/headhunting assignments for our repeat clients.
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Latest Canada Job Vacancies: https://www.maximrecruitment.com/jobs?q=canada& 
Email: steve@maximrecruitment.com