Strong February for construction labour
By Adam Freill
Construction LabourAccording to the most recent Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, the construction sector gained more than 10,000 workers.
Construction employment rises in February. (Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey (3701), table 14-10-0355-01.)
Canada’s employment ranks rose by 41,000 in February, including an additional 10,500, over January, reports Statistics Canada in its latest Labour Force Survey. According to StatCan, the employment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.5 per cent as population growth (0.3 per cent) continued to outpace employment growth (0.2 per cent). The unemployment rate increased to 5.8 per cent, offsetting a decline in January.
The construction sector posted the fourth-highest gain of segments included in the survey, although the addition of 10,500 workers was not enough to outpace figures from February of 2023, when 10,200 more workers were employed in the sector.
Leading overall employment gains were accommodation and food services, up by 26,000 workers, and professional, scientific, and technical services, which was up 18,000. In February, employment growth was driven by an increase in full-time work. On a year-over-year basis, full-time work was up by 260,000 in February, while part-time work was up by 108,000.
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.5 per cent for the month, a fifth consecutive monthly decline. This downward trend is associated with rapid population growth, which has outpaced employment growth in the past year.
