Each January, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) publishes an estimate of how many workers the US construction industry needs to attract on top of normal hiring. The estimate has fallen for two years in a row: from 501,000 for 2024, to 439,000 for 2025, to 349,000 for 2026. ABC projects the figure will rise again to about 456,000 in 2027.
In Canada, the challenge is mostly about retirements. Reporting on BuildForce Canada’s 2025–2034 outlook points to more than 270,000 construction workers retiring over the decade.
Why it matters for technical work
Headline numbers cover the whole industry, but the shortage is felt most in licensed and specialized trades. Electricians, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters and millwrights take years to train, and work in live plants and occupied buildings calls for experience that can’t be rushed.
What we’re doing about it
- Training apprentices in all four of our trades on real projects alongside experienced journeypersons.
- Giving people a path from the tools to foreperson, supervisor and project management roles.
- Using prefabrication where it makes sense, so skilled hours on site go where they matter most.
If you work in one of our trades, or want to, we’d like to hear from you. See careers at Enertec.
