By Chloe Bray

Canada is grappling with its most severe housing crisis in generations, requiring an unprecedented 47% increase in construction output to meet demand. We are also facing a stark reality: we cannot build our way out of this crisis without the skilled hands to do the work. While public sentiment toward immigration has grown increasingly skeptical, and federal immigration targets have been reduced, the construction sector tells a different story – one where immigrant workers are not just beneficial, but essential.  

The Canadian Construction Association estimates a shortage of 85,500 workers over the next decade, yet immigrants with construction skills represented just 2.4% of new arrivals between 2016 and 2021 – down dramatically from 9.6% in the 1980s. As Mark Carney’s Liberal government pursues ambitious housing plans reminiscent of post-World War II reconstruction efforts, the question for Canadians isn’t whether we need immigrant construction workers, but whether we can afford to turn them away. 

As Baby Boomers age out of the workforce, many sectors in Canada are facing labour shortages. By 2033, an estimated 134,000 residential construction workers will retire. This leaves a massive gap to fill to achieve the rates of construction set out in the Liberal plan. Currently, only 117,000 workers are projected to join the field, resulting in a net loss of 17,000 workers. These numbers don’t account for the additional workers needed to double our construction rate. Certain regions are dealing with especially acute shortages; Nova Scotia alone will face a shortage of 15,000 skilled workers in the next 10 years. Construction companies are already feeling the pressure: the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions found that concerns over finding skilled employees increased in the first quarter of 2025, while in 2023 the construction sector had one of the highest vacancy rates in Canada. 

Beyond just increasing our construction capacity, there are numerous other reasons to prioritize immigrants with a background in skilled trades.

There are multiple ways to fill this gap in skilled workers. Targeted investments in apprenticeship training are critical given recent rates of uptake: from 2016-2021, the number of working-age people with construction-focused apprenticeship certificates rose by just 0.6%, while the number of working-age people with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by almost 20%. While training more youth for careers in the skilled trades through programs like the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is crucial, there simply aren’t enough interested young people to fill current labour gaps. Unless Baby Boomers are willing to work well beyond retirement age, skilled immigrants are the most effective way – and likely the only way – to rapidly scale up Canada’s construction potential. 

Yet current immigration policies are falling short of the country’s construction needs. The proportion of immigrants with an apprenticeship or trades certificate dropped from 9.6% in the 1980s to 2.4% in recent years. Canada’s immigration system prioritizes university education over practical skills, and skilled tradespeople who come through the Express Entry system require a Canadian certification in their intended trade, automatically disqualifying many foreign construction workers. Through the Foreign Credentials Recognition Program, the Canadian government is funding programs like the UBC Bridge to Red Seal project, intended to streamline these processes for newcomers. More of these projects are needed on a large scale to integrate newcomers into the construction sector. Currently, most newcomers are left to navigate the complex recertification process on their own. 

The path forward is clear. If we want to rapidly scale up our construction capacity, we need to harness skilled immigrant talent. Targeted immigration streams that prioritize construction-specific trades at scale will allow us to bring in the talent we need. Other key steps include increasing the frequency of Express Entry trades draws and aligning our immigration policy with future construction workforce projections. For those already in Canada, governments and national organizations should streamline the recognition of foreign credentials so we can get more skilled employees on jobsites quickly. Ultimately, immigrants are a key partner in solving our housing crisis and building affordable housing for all Canadians. Either we leverage the contributions of skilled immigrant construction workers, or we fall short of housing Canadians and immigrants alike. 

Keywords: immigration, skilled trades, Canadian labour market, construction, Canadian housing market, labour shortages, newcomers, housing, Canadian workforce