Construction employment up 1.9 per cent in November, its first increase since July
By David Kennedy
Labour
Total employment in the industry topped 1.4 million in November. PHOTO: Adobe Stock/Ucarer
Construction employers added 26,000 workers across Canada last month, snapping a three-month streak of fractional gains.
The 1.9 per cent increase in the industry’s labour force stacks up against a 0.3 per cent increase for the overall Canadian economy, according to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada.
Ontario accounted for the majority of the gains in November, with job sites in the province swelling 5.5 per cent, the equivalent of roughly 28,000 additional workers. The strong showing offset industry job losses in certain other provinces.
The added staff both on- and off-site also boosted construction’s overall labour force to above 1.4 million for the first time since the spring. Nevertheless, employment in the industry remains 5.5 per cent, or roughly 85,000 jobs off, its pre-pandemic highs.
