Buildforce Canada

We assist the construction industry with its management of workforce requirements by providing reliable labour market information, tools and resources.

Products & Resources

BuildForce Canada supports the labour market development needs of the construction and maintenance industry through several programs and initiatives. Explore our core products and resources below.

3 Male Construction workers at an open, active construction site

BuildForce Canada studies and forecasts long-term trends in the labour market.  The resulting BuildForce Labour Market Information (LMI) focuses exclusively on trends affecting the construction and maintenance industry, including an economic and investment outlook, and an assessment of labour availability for 34 trades and occupations for the residential and non-residential construction sectors over a ten-year period.

Construction key indicators

Construction Labour Force

1,709,000

0.2% 2025-02

Construction Employment

1,571,600

1.2% 2025-02

Construction Unemployment Rate

8.0%

-1.3% 2025-02


Canada-wide statistics.
Data source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0022-01 Labour force characteristics by industry, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality.

2024 Annual Report

Arguably, construction has never been more at the centre of public discourse than it is right now.

Not only is the sector experiencing a period of growth that has placed significant demands on its residential and non-residential labour forces, but it is also contending with emerging public-policy driven requirements to build millions of new housing units and to transition Canada’s building stock to carbon-neutral fuel sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This year has been especially busy for BuildForce. In addition to the regular series of Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward reports, we developed three other distinct reports to understand and highlight how the demands of our sector will impact our labour force.

Buildforce Magazine

With upcoming retirements and an ever-increasing volume of project requirements, Canada’s skilled workforce is answering the call to meet labour-market demands.

This issue of our annual magazine focuses on apprenticeship for a very particular reason.

Programs of all shapes and sizes across the provinces are the principal pathways for new entrants to join the construction sector. Each year, thousands of people enter these programs, and each year thousands more complete their certifications and proudly enter the construction trades.

Our sector’s response to looming labour force challenges must include ongoing support for provincial apprenticeship systems as well as new programs that diversify construction’s labour force and make our industry an inclusive and welcoming place for all.

BuildForce Magazine Fall 2024 cover image

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