b'INDUSTRY PROMOTION & DEVELOPMENTLOOKING AHEADWITH BUILDFORCEMajor projects and workforce diversity define Manitobas construction outlookBy Klayton Gonalves, Senior Economist and Head of Business Intelligence, BuildForce CanadaAs Manitoba enters the 2025-2034Health care continues to be a majorconstruction hiring requirement forecast period, the provincesconstruction driver nationally, andto as many as 19,400 workers by construction and maintenance industryManitoba is no exception. However, the2034. While the local labour force is is poised to experience notable growth.province may have already passed peakexpected to contribute 11,500 first-time While interest-rate pressures havelevels of activity in this area, as severalentrants from the population aged weighed on the residential sectorlarge hospital and health centre projects30 years and younger, the remaining in recent years, population growthin Portage la Prairie, St. Boniface,shortfall will need to be filled through and major infrastructure investmentsNeepawa, Lac du Bonnet and Winklerinterprovincial mobility, recruitment are expected to drive employmentare anticipated to conclude within thefrom other industries and outreach to higher across both residential andfirst two years of the forecast. underrepresented groups.non-residential segments. Over the nextAlthough few new manufacturingA CLOSER LOOK ATdecade, Manitoba will not only requiremegaprojects are identified in theWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTthousands of additional workers toforecast, the Canadian Premium SandAlthough Manitoba benefits from support rising demands, but must alsofloat glass manufacturing facility,a relatively younger demographic, broaden its recruitment efforts to ensureprojected to begin in late 2025, iscontinued recruitment from historically a diverse and sustainable labour force. expected to bring a modest boost tounderrepresented groups remains MAJOR PROJECTS ADDING industrial construction activity. critical. As of 2024, 10.5 per cent of TO GROWING DEMANDS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENTthe provinces construction workforce BuildForce Canadas 2025-2034TRENDS POINT TO were womenlower than the national Construction and Maintenance LookingBROAD-BASED GROWTH average of 13.6 per centwith women Forward scenario tracks 20 majorrepresenting 9.5 per cent of construction construction projects that are eitherBuildForces forecast projectsemployment in Winnipeg. Roughly half of underway or expected to commencenon-residential construction employmentthe nearly 6,000 women in Manitobas within the decade. Collectively, theseto grow by 26 per cent above 2024construction workforce are employed on projects represent more than $4levels by 2034. Gains are anticipated tosite, with the rest in off-site occupations billion in real construction investmentbe led by industrial, commercial such as administration and(excluding the cost of machineryand institutional (ICI) buildingproject management.and equipment) and could createconstruction (+42 per cent) andIndigenous workers continue to play approximately 7,000 jobs across engineering construction a vital role in Manitobas construction the province. (+24 per cent), driven largely by publicsector, accounting for 17.7 per cent of Among the most significant undertakingsinfrastructure investment. total construction employmentthe are upgrades to water, wastewater andOn the residential side, employmenthighest share among all provinces. This sewer systems in Winnipeg, Portage lais projected to rise by nine per centlevel of participation outpaces their Prairie, Winkler and the Tataskweyakfrom 2024 levels. A resurgence inshare of the provincial labour force (13.8 Cree Nation. These are complementednew housing activity between 2025per cent), suggesting continued success by Manitoba Hydros redevelopment ofand 2028 is expected as interestin engagement and recruitmentthe Pointe du Bois Generating Station,rates ease and affordability conditionsespecially in the northern regions of the adding to the utilities sectors growth. improve. In later years, strong demandprovince, where their representation can Civil engineering demands will alsofor renovations and maintenance willbe as high as between 70-75 per cent.be strongly influenced by the Lakecontinue to support employment in Immigrants also represent an Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outletthe sector. increasingly important source of talent. Channels project, slated to begin inCombined with an anticipated 9,800As of 2024, they accounted for 20.1 the second quarter of 2025, alongsideretirements, these activity-drivenper cent of Manitobas construction several large-scale highway expansions. demands bring Manitobas totalworkforce, slightly below the national 26 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'