Construction Labour Supply Still Top Issue in Around Town
Your Weekly Construction Briefing
The BC Construction Association has released its annual Industry Survey offering insights from construction employers and tradespeople. According to this year’s survey, the top issues facing the industry are skilled labour shortages, prompt payments, and safety, with 61% of small contractors seriously contemplating leaving the industry.
The survey was conducted in the Fall of 2022 with a total of 1,300 respondents across a variety of sectors. Respondents included employers and tradespeople/labourers in the industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential sectors and in unionized and open-shop workplaces.
Survey Highlights include:
- Labour costs have risen 11% in 3 years
- Average yearly wage of $70,088
- 163,900 trades workers in BC, down 9%
- 6000 Labour shortages by 2032
Of particular concern to the industry is a lack of prompt payment legislation which increases the financial risks for BC contractors. Many contractors are considering leaving the industry over the stress of not knowing if they will get paid on time to meet payroll obligations.
However, labourers and skilled workers continue to reap the benefits of the labour shortage. The job market remains highly competitive, driving annual earnings up 22% in the last five years to an average of $70,088. Most workers are working full time and earning overtime, and roughly 45% of respondents reported changing employers within the last year, with the #1 reason being higher pay.
For results of the full survey, visit bit.ly/2023industrysurvey.
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