Ontario Construction News staff writer
In June, the construction sector in Canada saw a notable decline in employment, with a loss of 7,700 jobs, or 0.7%. This downturn follows a period of relative stability in May and a modest increase in April, when the sector added 2,300 jobs, marking a 0.2% rise.
Despite this recent decline, the construction industry had experienced a positive trend earlier in the year, with a cumulative gain of 5,900 jobs, or 0.5%, from January through June 2024. However, the June decrease disrupted this upward trajectory.
The drop in construction employment was broad-based, affecting eight out of ten industries within the sector. The most significant losses were observed in other specialty trade contractors, down by 2,600 jobs (1.9%), and utility system construction, which shed 1,400 jobs (1.9%). Residential building construction also faced a decline of 1,100 jobs (0.6%), and has now seen a total reduction of 2,300 jobs (1.3%) from its peak in December 2023.
Among the various industries within construction, building equipment contractors were the only group to experience a monthly increase, adding 500 jobs, or 0.1%, in June.
This recent decline contrasts with the overall positive trend observed earlier in the year, reflecting ongoing volatility within the sector.
