Last Updated On 8 March 2025, 8:49 AM EST (Toronto Time)

Today, Immigration Minister Marc Miller was supposed to announce new measures to support Canada’s construction industry.

As per the official press release, Minister Miller was scheduled to be holding a press conference in Ottawa at 1:00 PM ET (Toronto time).

However, as of the latest update, this announcement has been CANCELLED without quoting any reasons.

Official IRCC Media Advisory Now CANCELLED

Canada is grappling with a housing shortage, with research from the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) estimating a need for 3.5 million additional homes by 2030 to restore affordability.

What did we expect this announcement to be?

As of now, the press release only says “new measures to support Canada’s construction industry.”

So we can expect that Minister Miller will be announcing something to benefit individuals and firms in construction businesses.

This could be something new coming for out-of-status construction workers program.

Or this could be just a follow-up announcement highlighting that Canada has now added 19 skilled trades to the list of occupations eligible for Express Entry category-based draws.

This occupation list was updated by the IRCC yesterday, February 27.

Now there are 25 trades eligible for the trades category of Express Entry draws and most of these are related to construction, except for cooks.

Occupation	2021 NOC code
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services	82021
Floor covering installers	73113
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)	73112
Roofers and shinglers	73110
Concrete finishers	73100
Other technical trades and related occupations	72999
Water well drillers	72501
Electrical mechanics	72422
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics	72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	72401
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	72400
Bricklayers	72320
Cabinetmakers	72311
Carpenters	72310
Gas fitters	72302
Plumbers	72300
Industrial electricians	72201
Electricians (except industrial and power system)	72200
Welders and related machine operators	72106
Sheet metal workers	72102
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	72100
Home building and renovation managers	70011
Construction managers	70010
Cooks	63200
Construction estimators	22303

Let’s wait and watch what comes out. Stay tuned and check back later for more updates.

Canada’s Construction Industry Scale: Businesses and Workforce

The construction sector comprises a substantial number of businesses, with Canadian Industry Statistics reporting 396,139 businesses in 2023.

This figure underscores the industry’s fragmentation, with 98.9% of these businesses having 0-99 employees, indicating a predominance of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Employment in the sector is equally significant, with Statista data from 2023 estimating approximately 1.2 million workers, reflecting a doubling of the workforce since 1997.

This growth highlights the industry’s expansion to meet rising demands for residential and non-residential construction, though it faces challenges such as labor shortages and economic fluctuations.

Labor Shortages in Construction and the Role of Skilled Trades

Labor shortages are a pressing issue, with the construction industry struggling to find skilled workers to meet project demands.

BuildForce Canada reports a need to recruit over 309,000 new workers by 2029, driven by an anticipated retirement of more than 257,000 workers and a projected growth of 50,200 jobs.

Skilled trades, such as electricians, carpenters, and plumbers, are central to addressing these shortages, as they possess the specialized skills required for construction projects.

The industry faces demographic challenges, with an aging workforce and low participation rates among younger workers necessitating increased recruitment and training efforts.

Reports also note a vacancy rate of 5.1% in construction, higher than the national average, emphasizing the urgency of filling these roles to maintain productivity.

Immigrant Contribution to the Workforce

Immigrants play a vital role in the construction industry, with estimates suggesting approximately 22% of the workforce are immigrants, based on averages from specific roles and general immigration patterns.

Detailed data from the Canadian government’s Immigration Matters in Residential Construction page, citing the 2021 Statistics Canada Census, shows varying percentages by role:

Role	Percentage of Immigrants
Roofers and shinglers	20%
Electricians	16%
Carpenters	15%
Plumbers	14%
Steamfitters, pipefitters, sprinkler system installers	12%
General contractors and builders (residential)	23%
Architects	41%
Civil engineers	40%
Urban and land use planners	23%
Construction managers	24%

This table illustrates the significant presence of immigrants across various construction roles, highlighting their importance in addressing workforce needs.

This contribution is crucial, especially given labor shortages, and reflects Canada’s reliance on immigration to sustain construction activity.

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) licensed by CICC (formerly known as ICCRC) with member number R708618. He brings extensive knowledge of immigration law and new changes to rapidly evolving IRCC.