Sharp drop, quick recovery
New data released by Procore on August 13 suggests that Canada’s construction industry reached its lowest ebb during the COVID-19 pandemic in early April before turning upwards and eventually surpassing pre-pandemic levels in May.
The data, which was collected by Procore through its application logs, shows the industry reaching its lowest point in terms of person-hours worked during the week of April 6. At that time, Ontario and Quebec had both closed nearly all of their combined construction sites. Procore data shows worker hours dropping by 41 percent between March 16 and then.
Worker hours in Ontario over the same period dropped by 57 percent, while those in Alberta dropped just 9 percent and those in British Columbia dropped 7 percent. Alberta’s worst-performing week came on May 18, at which point its industry had lost 21 percent of the worker hours recorded in March. British Columbia also reported a sharp decline in worker hours that week, but hours did not drop below the March 16 baseline.
All the provinces had returned to above the baseline by the week of July 27.
Reports from Statistics Canada tell a similar story. By April, the national statistics agency’s Labour Force Survey showed that more than 313,000 construction workers, or about one-fifth of its labour force, had been laid off.
The good news is, construction’s recovery was swift. The industry added back tens of thousands of jobs each month since April. As of July, the construction labour force stood at 91.6 percent of its pre-pandemic level.
“The pandemic has challenged all of us, personally and professionally,” said Jas Saraw, vice president, Canada, at Procore. “Our position in the industry enables us to provide insights that would otherwise be unavailable. This information helps construction organizations and economists better understand trends and consider ways forward as the industry navigates the pandemic and recession together.”