Distribution of Alberta construction employment in 2021
Legend
- New housing: 21.8%
- Non-oil sands engineering: 21.8%
- Residential renovation and maintenance: 19.8%
- Industrial commercial institutional (ICI): 15.8%
- Non-residential maintenance: 12.9%
- Oilsands: 7.9%
Distribution of Alberta construction employment in 2021
Legend
- New housing: 21.8%
- Non-oil sands engineering: 21.8%
- Residential renovation and maintenance: 19.8%
- Industrial commercial institutional (ICI): 15.8%
- Non-residential maintenance: 12.9%
- Oilsands: 7.9%
Source: Build Force Canada, Alberta Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward, 2021
Alberta’s construction employment by gender in 2020
| Employment | 2020 | Female | Male | ||
| On-site | 172,400 | 11,500 | 7% | 160,900 | 93% |
| Off-site | 56,000 | 25,084 | 45% | 30,916 | 55% |
Source: BuildForce Canada calculations based on Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey and 2016 Census of the Population
Alberta is one of the leading provinces where women are making strides in construction trades. In 2020, approximately 36,600 women were employed in Alberta’s construction industry. Thirty-one per cent worked on construction sites, while the remaining 69 per cent worked off-site, primarily in administrative and management-related occupations.
Of the 11,500 tradeswomen in Alberta, the majority are employed in the non-residential sector (54 per cent), specifically in construction engineering. In the residential sector, women account for 7.3 per cent of tradespeople, compared to 6.3 per cent in non-residential construction.
The top five trades and occupations for women
The top five trades and occupations for women
Nearly six per cent of Alberta’s construction workforce is comprised of Indigenous Peoples. About 80 per cent work directly on construction projects, while the remaining 20 per cent work primarily in administrative and management-related roles.
Almost 17 percent of Alberta’s construction workforce is made up of new Canadians. A growing section of Canada’s population is comprised of immigrants. It is vital for the construction industry to recruit new Canadians into the skilled trades.
Construction employers
Employers in the province’s construction industry include a cross-section of companies:
- Construct, repair or renovate residential buildings (houses, apartment buildings, condominiums); commercial buildings (office towers, shops, malls); and industrial buildings (oil refineries, petrochemical plants, power plants);
- Perform engineering works (highways, bridges, pipelines);
- Subdivide and develop land; and
- Energy companies.
Most ACSA members employ fewer than 20 employees:
ACSA members: Number of employees (%)
Construction employees
In 2021, the construction industry accounted for 9.9 per cent of total employment in Alberta. Total construction employment is expected to increase by 19,100 workers (11 per cent) between 2020 and 2030.[1] Of the 224,200 workers employed in the construction industry in 2021, 91.6 per cent were full-time and 8.4 per cent were part-time, compared to 92.5 and 7.5 per cent respectively in 2020.[2]
| Characteristic | Alberta | Construction |
| Average number of hours worked per week | 36.4 | 41.1 |
| Multiple jobholders (% of total employment) | 4.3% | 5.5% |
| Average job tenure (months) | 96.3 | 93.4 |
| Employees under union coverage | 25.6% | 27.8% |
| Employees working overtime per week | 17.2% | 13.3% |
Data source: Statistics Canada Tables: 14-10-0037-01, 14-10-0044-01, 14-10-0055-01 14-10-0070-01 and 14-10-0076-01, 2021
Note: The percentage of multiple jobholders is obtained by dividing the number of multiple jobholders by total employment. This calculation method also applies to the percentage of employees under union coverage and the percentage of employees working overtime per week.
According to the Statistics Canada 2021 Labour Force Survey, the gender breakdown in Alberta for the construction industry was 35,300 women employed (15.9 per cent), an increase of 0.2 per cent from 2020; and 186,800 men employed (84.1 per cent). In comparison, women accounted for 46.6 per cent and men 53.4 per cent of total employment (for all industries) in Alberta.
- Employment in Alberta
- Employment in Construction
- Employment in Alberta
- Employment in construction
Age characteristic | Employment in Alberta | Employment in construction | ||
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| 15 to 24 years | 275,600 | 12.3% | 23,200 | 10.5% |
| 25 to 54 years | 1,519,300 | 67.9% | 157,600 | 70.9% |
| 55 years and over | 444,200 | 19.8% | 41,400 | 18.6% |
Data source: Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0023-01, 2021
In 2021, the Alberta average hourly rate in the construction sector was $33.68, compared to $32.52 in all industries. The median hourly wage rate was $32 in the construction industry, compared to $28.77 for total employees in all industries.[3]
[1] BuildForce Canada Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward 2021-2030 – Alberta Highlights
[2] Statistics Canada Tables: 14-10-0023-01 and 14-100202-01
[3] Data source: Statistics Canada Table: 14-10-0064-01, 2021. Employee wages by industry, annual
Note: The average hourly wage is obtained by dividing the sum of the wages of all the employees by the total number of employees. The median hourly wage is that wage below which half the employees earn and above which half the employees earn.
