TORONTO—Vacant positions continue to plague employers in the construction industry.
The rate of job vacancies among private sector construction firms now sits at 3.8 per cent—the second-highest level among industries tracked—according to a new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
The number eclipses the national average of 3.1 per cent for the second quarter, itself the highest nationwide vacancy rate ever recorded by the industry association over more than a decade of tracking. The construction figure trails just the personal services sector, which experienced a vacancy rate of 4.8 per cent.
“Although the national vacancy rate continues to climb, most of the increase is being driven by Quebec,” said CFIB Chief Economist, Ted Mallett, speaking about the country as a whole.
“Rates in BC and Ontario remain high, but have eased off a little from the previous quarter. The difficulty businesses in those provinces face in meeting their staffing needs is really the headwind of a strong and growing economy.”
The report estimates 397,400 jobs across the country have sat vacant for at least four months.
The CFIB says the shortages continue to put upward pressure on wages.
