Construction sector sees an increase in employment through November

Dec. 13, 2023 – Statistic Canada’s Labour Force Survey found the employment increased in construction by 16,000 workers, a one per cent increase.

While employment declined in construction through the spring and summer of 2023, gains in October and November brought employment levels in the sector to within 15,000 of the peak reached in January 2023. According to recent data on building construction, investment in building construction, in particular residential building construction, trended down for most of 2023, before partially rebounding in August and September.

Employment held steady for core-aged (25 to 54 years old) men and women in November. Among women in this age group, an increase in full-time work by 34,000 employees was partially offset by a decrease in part-time work by 21,000.

In November, the employment rate among core-age men declined by 0.2 percentage points to 87.3 per cent. The employment rate of core-aged women was little changed at 81.6 per cent in November, but has trended downward throughout most of the year from its record high of 82.2 per cent in January.

The employment rate of young women (aged 15 to 24) fell 0.6 percentage points to 56.4 per cent in November, bringing the cumulative decline since August to 2.7 percentage points.

Among women aged 55 and older, the employment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 30.4 per cent in November, while for men it held steady at 40.6 per cent.