Construction employment data from the February Labour Force Survey finds a slight increase in industry unemployment over the past 12 months as growth in the labour force (+3.4%) outpaced growth in employment (+3.1%). The total industry employment rate increased from 7.8% in February 2024 to 8.0% in February 2025.
The elevated unemployment numbers should be no cause for concern. Construction being a seasonal and highly cyclical industry, the industry is prone to seeing comparatively high levels of unemployment in the early months of each calendar year. Gains in the labour force in February may suggest more workers are preparing themselves to find job opportunities ahead of the start of regular outdoor work in the spring.
A closer look at the February 2025 employment data shows large discrepancies in trends among men and women.
Over the past 12 months, employment and labour force increases among men of all ages in the industry have been almost equal, and have combined to lower the demographic’s unemployment rate by one tenth of a percentage point. Employment growth was most notable among the eldest male cohort (i.e., those aged 55 years and older) at 10% and in the youngest demographic of 15 to 24 years at 9.3%. Employment among core-aged men rose by 2.0%.
The data trends are less positive among women. Employment among all women in the industry contracted by 4.1% over the past 12 months, with the unemployment rate among women rising by two full percentage points to 5.0%. The greatest employment decrease was reported among core-aged workers at -3.9%, while those in the youngest cohort saw a decrease of 2.5%, and the eldest cohort recorded a drop of 3.2%.
Across the country, just four provinces reported overall employment declines over the past 12 months: Manitoba (-3,100; -5.4%), New Brunswick (-2,600; -8.6%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-1,600; -8.8%), and Ontario was flat.
Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario to a lesser degree, continue to feel the effects of slowing construction demands. The former is experiencing a lull in employment as many major engineering-construction projects have passed peak activity periods or concluded, while the latter continues to be affected by slowing demand for residential construction in several regions, and in the Greater Toronto Area in particular.
Conversely, four of the remaining six provinces reported employment gains of 6,000 workers or more. With an increase of 21,000 workers over the past 12 months, Alberta (+8.8%) led the way. British Columbia reported an increase of 14,100 workers, (+6.0%), followed by Nova Scotia (6,700; 18.5%) and Quebec (6,000; 2.0%).
Unemployment rates among the provinces varied from a high of 23.3% in Newfoundland and Labrador to a low of 3.5% in British Columbia. Several provinces reported rates of 9% or more, including Alberta (9.7%), Saskatchewan (10.2%), Manitoba (10.9%), and New Brunswick (16.6%).
Construction Key Indicators
