Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Comité permanent des ressources humaines, du développement des compétences, du développement social et de la condition des personnes handicapées

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 17, 2019 -

Labour shortages can occur when the demand for labour exceeds the existing supply of qualified workers. This phenomenon, which has been raised as a concern in regions such as the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), can have wide-ranging consequences for the workforce and sectors affected, as well as for the local and national economy.

Today, MP Bryan May, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented the Committee’s 17th report in the House of Commons.

Entitled Labour Shortages and Solutions in the GTHA Construction Industry, the report was inspired by a motion sponsored by Peter Fonseca (Member of Parliament for Mississauga East—Cooksville), which asked the Committee to study labour shortages in the construction industry, placing particular emphasis on the GTHA. As explained by MP Fonseca, “[b]rick by brick, block by block and stone by stone, these mid-level skilled construction trades – bricklayers, form workers, framers and carpenters – are the backbone of the construction industry, and they’re in short supply across the country.”

The Committee’s report highlights testimony received from a variety of witnesses (including the sponsor of the motion, senior departmental officials, along with construction industry and labour stakeholders) with respect to the main factors that are affecting the supply of workers in the construction industry as well as promising solutions for change. The report also provides a brief overview of the state of labour demand, with emphasis on the construction industry in Ontario and the GTHA, and outlines the main federal government supports for apprentices, tradespeople, and construction industry employers.

Overall, the report makes eight recommendations around issues such as labour data collection, skills training, financial supports, recruitment from underrepresented groups, and immigration programs, recognizing that a multifaceted approach is needed to address existing and emerging labour market needs. The report also acknowledges that these recommendations could serve to alleviate the shortage of workers in other regions and industries in Canada.

The Committee is composed of 14 Members of Parliament. It is chaired by Bryan May (Cambridge) and its vice-chairs are John Barlow (Foothills) and Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot). The other committee members are: Rodger Cuzner (Cape Breton—Canso), Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach), Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster), Gordie Hogg (South Surrey—White Rock), Wayne Long (Saint John—Rothesay), Robert J. Morrissey (Egmont), Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne), Dan Ruimy (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge), Ramesh Sangha (Brampton Centre), Adam Vaughan (Spadina—Fort York), and Kate Young (London West).