b"LOCAL LABOUR FORCE OUTLOOKWith Manitoba's construction sector poised for growth, no room for complacency in recruitment as competition for available workers acceleratesBy Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce CanadaManitobas construction andThe narrative in the non-residentialFortunately, Manitoba is well equipped maintenance industry has shaken offsector is somewhat different. to manage such change. At just under the worst of the economic effects of theNon-residential construction activity will38 years in 2021, the median age of its COVID-19 pandemic and is again poisedremain high in the short term, peaking inpopulation is among the youngest in for growth across all sectors. Over the2022. The nearly $600-million Manitobathe country, and a full three years below long term, balance will be Restart Capital Program is funding athe national median age. Given this, the watchword. wide variety of wastewater, highway andManitoba should be able to meet most BuildForce Canada released ourschool improvement projects. Theseof its construction hiring requirements. annual Construction and Maintenanceprojects, supplemented with work onWe expect the industry to recruit as Looking Forward report for Manitobamajor engineering projects such asmany as 5,400 new workers under the in March. In it, we concluded that thethe Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martinage of 30 from the local population.industry resumed growth in 2021 andOutlet Channels project, will help toComplicating this workforce renewal are will continue to do so in 2022 beforepartially offset any employment declinestwo lingering effects from the COVID-19 moderating across the remainder of ourrelated to the winding down of thepandemic.forecast period. Keeyask Generating Station project. The first is a large loss of workers among This years Construction and MaintenanceOur longer-term outlook is moretwo cohorts between 2019 and 2021. Looking Forward reports focus on aconstrained. As work on these keyThe labour force among those aged 15 six-year time horizon (from 2022 toengineering and public sector stimulusto 24 declined by 16 per cent over this 2027) as opposed to the 10 yearsprojects are completed, investment inperiod, while the number of workers considered in previous editions. Theindustrial, commercial and institutionalaged 55 and older fell by 12 per cent. narrower scope allows for a sharpersector projects is expected to grow, but(By comparison, the labour force among focus on the short- and long-termat a more moderate pace.those aged 25 to 54 contracted by just demand and supply pressures impacting2.8 per cent.)the provinces construction sector. As a result, employment in the sector willIt is broadly anticipated that some NEAR-TERM PEAKS OFFSET BYpeak in 2022 with a rise of 3.4 per cent but not allof these workers will SLOWER LONG-TERM TRENDS over 2021 levels, before slowing over there-enter the labour force now that the In the short term, construction demandsremaining years. By 2027, we anticipateeconomy is recovering, but the return across Manitoba will remain high. Newthat the non-residential sector will beof young workers in particular could housing construction, which peaked attwo-per-cent higher than 2021 levels. be slowed by a perceived weaker nearly 8,000 starts in 2021, is expected toLOCAL GROWTH COULD OFFSETprovincial construction outlook and moderate in 2022 and 2023 due to risingRETIREMENT LOSSES intense recruitment competition from interest rates. Sector investment shouldAlthough overall employment isother industries with similar labour force remain high through 2027, however, asexpected to see little change over therenewal needs. This says nothing of the demand shifts to renovation services. six-year forecast, the industry faces aknowledge and experience lost with the Given these trends, we expectfamiliar challenge: filling employmenthastened retirements of older workers.construction employment in thegaps created by retirement. Our modelsThe second complicating effect of the residential sector to peak in 2022 (asuggest that as many as 4,500 workers pandemic is how it has challenged the two-per-cent rise over 2021 levels)nearly 11 per cent of the current labourprovinces apprenticeship systema before receding across the remainderforcewill retire by 2026. Combinedvital entry pathway for young people.of the forecast period. By 2027, wewith the anticipated employment growth anticipate employment in the sector willduring this period, the industry will needAfter finally shaking off six have contracted by one per cent overto recruit some 4,800 workers by the endconsecutive years of contractions, 2021 levels. of the forecast period. new apprenticeship registrations in 22 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca"