Construction employment dips in January
By Adam Freill
Construction LabourOverall employment rises slightly in January, despite the loss of 3,500 jobs in the construction sector.
Payroll employment changes in January. (Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (2612), table 14-10-0220-01.)
Canada’s employment ranks bumped upwards by 39,800 positions, or 0.2 per cent, in January, according to Statistics Canada in its latest Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up by 212,900 jobs, a gain of 1.2 per cent over January of 2023.
Construction employment fell on the opposite end of the ledger in January, however, as in construction decreased by 3,500 positions, or 0.3 per cent. The sector had gaind 1,400 positions in December 2023 and was little change in November. Payroll employment in the sector has generally trended down after reaching a peak in June, with a net loss of 8,800 positions from June 2023 to January 2024, a drop of 0.8 per cent.
By segment, residential building construction lost 1,500 positions in January, following four consecutive months of little change. Payroll employment in specialty trade contractors was also down by 1,500 in January 2024, while non-residential building construction and heavy and civil engineering construction were little changed.
Across all sectors of the nation’s economy, there were 632,100 job vacancies in January, little changed from December, but down 34,800, or 5.2 per cent, from November. Construction vacancies were essentially flat.
