b'Wondering Whats NextCONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE STARTING TO GET BACK ON TRACK. WILL THIS TREND CONTINUE?This article was originally printed in BUILDFORCE Magazine. You can read the full issue for free on BuildForce Canadas website, www.buildforce.ca/en/magazine. It is reprinted with permission.S onsetofCOVID-19,thepandemichasdeeplyaffectedapproximately 266,000 jobs as workers were sent home or voluntarily Sincethe the routine decisions, everyday workflows and traditional operatingwithdrew due to health and safety concerns. Unemployment increased proceduresoftheCanadianconstructionsector.Provincesandfrom 8.1 per cent to 20.5 per cent. territories across the country were forced to quickly introduce a spateThe good news is that as economies started to re-open and construction of new health and safety protocols that were specifically designed toprojects got back on track, employment rose for the fourth consecutive allow construction operations to continue throughout the spring andmonthsincethepeakjoblossesinApril,returningclosertopre-into summer, albeit at a slower pace than before.COVID-19 levels, though the total remains 6.7 per cent lower than Industry was pounded by initial imposed work stoppages and joblevels seen in August 2019. The national construction unemployment losses across all provinces, says BuildForce Senior Economist, Bobrate declined through August, falling to 7.3 per cent from a high of 20.5 Collins. While all construction businesses have been affected by theper cent in April. pandemic, those located in Quebec and Ontario were impacted mostWeanticipatethenumberswillbesteadywithmoremoderate severely because of mandatory closures when both provinces halted allemploymentgainsthroughthefall,butthepaceofrecoveryand non-essential services.market conditions may vary by province, says Collins. It should also The impact of the pandemic was evident in Statistics Canadas monthlybe noted that job losses in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Force Survey data. Between pre-pandemic February and thewere intensified by labour markets that were already weakened by the peak of imposed closures in April, the Canadian construction sector lostcollapse in the price of oil, which preceded the peak of the pandemic. www.ecao.org16'