Number of women working in construction industry back up in 2024, report indicates

The number of women working in the construction industry on P.E.I. rose in 2024 after falling the year prior, according to a report from a Canadian industry group.

BuildForce, which represents all sectors of the country's construction market, uses data from Statistic Canada to get an overall picture of the construction industry each year. That report indicates there were a total of 910 women employed in the industry on P.E.I. in 2024, up from a low of 550 in 2023. That same report recorded 900 women in construction in 2022.

"We're encouraging it all the time," said Sam Sanderson, executive director of the Construction Association of P.E.I. and a father of two daughters who work in the trades.

"We're really hoping that continues on. We'd love to see a lot more women in the industry."

According to the report, 64 per cent of the women working in the industry in 2024 didn't work directly in construction, but in areas like administration and management. That's higher than the number recorded in previous years. In 2024, just five per cent of the 7,250 tradespeople currently employed in P.E.I. were women, down from a high of 7 per cent in 2020.

"Construction is way more than just about the actual building," Sanderson said. "There's so many opportunities and so many different aspects of it, there's opportunities for anybody and everybody."

At Mr. Plumber in Charlottetown, seven of the 25 employees are women, including office workers, service managers and plumbers.

"We just happen to see more qualified women coming through the doors and it's really nice to see," said owner Tracy Croucher. "Right now, women are seeing that the world is open to them.

"We don't focus on women, we don't specifically recruit women, but when they come through and have the skill set, it's a wonderful addition to our team."