Major project demands drive construction growth in Nova Scotia to 2035, and may help to offset softening residential activity

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Construction activity in Nova Scotia is expected to experience growth over the coming decade, as major project demands in the non-residential sector offset slowing growth for residential construction.

BuildForce Canada today released its Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward highlight reports for the residential and non-residential construction sectors in Nova Scotia for the period of 2026 to 2035. Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, the outlook calls for activity to be driven by healthy growth in the non-residential sector as activity in the residential sector declines from peak levels.

Residential construction investment enters the forecast period at a peak, and is expected to rise again in 2026 with strong levels of investment in new-housing construction activity. Thereafter, and into the early 2030s, residential investment levels are projected to recede as population growth slows and demand for multi-unit residential structures declines. Renovation activity, supported by provincial incentives and rising real incomes, is expected to surpass new housing investment by 2032.

Meanwhile, the outlook for the non-residential construction sector calls for sustained growth into 2029. Investment in the sector has been increasing steadily since 2023, driven by growth in engineering construction and industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) buildings. Investment in ICI buildings construction is projected to peak in 2029 with sustained activity on such key projects as the QEII Halifax Infirmary Site, the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Development and other healthcare facilities. Investment in engineering construction, meanwhile, is forecast to continue to trend toward a new peak into 2035, given planned and ongoing work on key mining and utilities projects.

These trends are projected to elevate non-residential construction employment by 22% above 2025 levels by 2035, and offset a contraction of 15% in residential-sector employment over the same period.

“While major projects can significantly impact workforce outlooks, we are confident that these are solid indicators of where the market and workforce are going, based on what we know today,” says Duncan Williams, President and CEO of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia. “As with any labour market information, many factors can change the fundamentals. This year’s reports show consistently high demand in most trades and occupations over the forecast. This, in turn, means we need to strengthen our attraction, training and retention efforts as a key focus over the next several years.”

Although overall construction growth across the forecast period is expected to be modest at just 300 workers, hiring needs across the province will be driven by the expected retirement of 8,200 workers, or 21% of the construction 2025 labour force. The projected recruiting of some 7,200 first-time new entrants from the local population may lead to a shortfall of as many as 1,300 construction workers in the province.

(Note that discrete analyses of the residential and non-residential labour force trends are available in their respective reports.)

Keeping pace with demand will require a combination of strategies, including maintaining local recruitment and training efforts, particularly from groups traditionally under-represented in the construction labour force, the hiring of workers from other industries with the required skill sets, and the recruitment of immigrants to Canada with skilled trades training or construction experience.

New registrations in Nova Scotia’s largest construction trades programs reached a record high in 2023. Although there was a slight softening in 2024, registrations have outpaced employment growth and remain significantly higher than the average annual intake over the last decade. Completions have been slower to rise, but the influx of apprentices that came into the system previously may yield an increase in certified workers over the next four to six years.

“The increase of apprentices coming into the province’s training system is encouraging, particularly as we are seeing record levels of interest and participation in a number of trades and management occupations,” says Trent Soholt, Executive Director, Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council. “And given the focus on enhancing apprentice retention rates and expanded engagement, by industry and our provincial government, I am excited about the opportunities ahead to continue attracting new, experienced and diverse talent to deliver on generational investments.”

In 2025, there were approximately 4,780 women employed in Nova Scotia’s construction industry. Of them, 29% worked on site, directly on construction projects. As a share of the 35,800 tradespeople employed in Nova Scotia’s construction industry, however, women accounted for just 4% of the 2025 workforce.

The Indigenous population is the fastest-growing population in Canada and therefore presents recruitment opportunities. In 2025, Indigenous Peoples made up 4.2% of both the overall provincial workforce and the construction workforce. Compared with 2016, however, Indigenous representation edged down slightly in both segments. As the Indigenous population continues to grow, the sector must continue its recruitment efforts and invest in initiatives that foster long-term retention.

The construction industry is also committed to the recruitment of newcomers to Canada. Based on historical settlement patterns and adjusted federal immigration targets, the province is expected to welcome more than 87,500 new immigrants between 2026 and 2035, making these individuals, if successfully recruited, a key and growing part of the industry’s future labour force.

Increasing the participation rate of women, Indigenous People, and new Canadians could help Nova Scotia’s construction industry address its future labour force needs.

BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to support the labour market development needs of the construction and maintenance industry. As part of these activities, BuildForce works with key industry stakeholders, including contractors, proponents of construction, labour providers, governments, and training providers, to identify both demand and supply trends that will impact labour force capacity in the sector, and supports the career searches of job seekers wanting to work in the industry. BuildForce also leads programs and initiatives that support workforce upskilling, workforce productivity improvements, improvements to training modalities, human resource tools to support the adoption of industry best practices, as well as other value-added initiatives focused on supporting the industry’s labour force development needs. Visit www.buildforce.ca.

For further information, contact James Raiswell, Director of Communications, BuildForce Canada, at raiswell@buildforce.ca or 343-998-1674.

This report was produced with the support and input of a variety of provincial construction and maintenance industry stakeholders. For local industry reaction to this latest BuildForce Canada report, please contact:

Trent Soholt
Executive Director
Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council – ICI
902-832-4761

Duncan Williams
President and CEO
Construction Association of Nova Scotia
902-468-2267

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