The construction industry has almost regained full employment levels after a few tough months during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, employment in construction was 157,000 higher than in April, reaching 89.3 per cent of its February level, reports Statistics Canada.
In the manufacturing industry, employment gains in May and June totalled 160,000 bringing employment to 91.9 per cent of its February level.
In each of the construction and manufacturing industries, both the proportion of people working less than 50 per cent of their usual work hours and the number of people on temporary layoff fell in June. Construction recorded a 53.8 per cent decrease in the number of people on temporary layoff (not seasonally adjusted).
Employment in the industry was basically unchanged in Alberta in June and was 93.8 per cent of the February level. Nationally, employment in the industry was at 95.4 per cent of its pre-COVID level.
The easing of restrictions, the introduction of protective measure, and new workplace adaptations are reflected in the number of Canadians working at locations other than home. Among those that were employed and worked at least half of their usually hours, working at locations other than home increased by two million in June, while the number of Canadians working from home fell by 400,000.