The industry is experiencing a 79% increase in the value of current projects from five years ago, and a 17% increase from pre-pandemic levels, even as labour shortages continue, and cost of goods are at all-time highs.
Annual construction wages have seen a significant rise of 14% since 2015 to $66,591, reflecting an 8% increase since pre-pandemic levels alone. Nearly 100% of workers are working full time, 84% year-round, and half are earning a higher wage than last year.
The construction industry’s contribution to BC’s GDP is up a whopping 22%, growing from $18.8BN in 2017 to $23BN today, and it remains the #1 employer in BC’s goods sector, with 215,133 British Columbians relying directly on construction for a paycheque.
At least 17% of the projected skills gap has been filled by tradeswomen, who are now 5.7% of the skilled workforce and 5.5x more likely to recommend the trades as a career path.