Ontario Construction News staff writer
Canada’s workforce is aging, but in the construction sector, not so much.
An analysis of Canadian enterprises across all industries shows the percentage of workers aged 55 and older more than doubled over the study period, increasing to 18.8 per cent in 2022 from 9.3 per cent in 2001.
And while the average age of the Canadian population increased by more than four years – to 41.7 in 2021 from 37.5 in 2001 — the percentage of individuals of working age (15 to 64) who were 55 to 64 grew to a record 21.8 per cent.
The analysis by Statistics Canada economist Hassan Faryaar shows the degree of workforce aging varies across industries. Manufacturing showed the largest shifts with the share of companies with an average worker over 40 rising by 30.7 percentage points to 59.1 per cent during the period.
The construction sector experienced the smallest shift, with the proportion of companies with an average worker aged over 40 increasing by 12.9 percentage points to 38.5 per cent in 2022.
The more modest change may be attributed to the physical demands of construction that compel workers to retire earlier than in other sectors, the study said.
The study found the proportion of construction companies whose average worker is older than 55 remains close to zero among medium and large firms with 100 or more employees.
This may be because older workers transition to smaller firms where tasks rely more on experience than physical strength and offer greater flexibility in working hours, it said.
Older workers in general are more likely to be self-employed and work part time compared with younger workers, earlier data shows.
Using Statistics Canada’s employer, employee dynamics database, the study found the share of workers aged 55 and older in construction has risen less than in other sectors.
The finding aligns with separate research showing the construction sector, on average, has one of the youngest workforces in Canada.
The share of construction companies with three or fewer workers where the average worker is over 55 increased to 23.6 per cent in 2022 from 13.5 per cent in 2001. In other words, by 2022, nearly one-fourth of these firms had an average worker aged over 55.
