Real earnings for construction trades in Canada and the United States since 2000, at matching 4-digit NAICS codes — the price test for the skilled trades shortage claim.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics · Statistics Canada
Payroll employment in construction and selected comparison industries in Canada and the United States, measured on one consistent industry basis.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics · Statistics Canada
Total real labour compensation in construction and its share of GDP in Canada and the United States, shown as separate chart options.
Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Statistics Canada
Vacancy rates, quits, layoffs and job tenure in construction against the rest of the economy — whether a high vacancy rate means scarcity or churn.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS) · Statistics Canada
Workers aged 55 and over as a share of the workforce, trades against the whole economy and against tech — testing the coming-retirement-wave claim.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPS) · Statistics Canada
Inflation-adjusted wages advertised on Canadian job vacancies, comparing individual trades with all vacancies and nursing.
Source: Statistics Canada, Job Vacancy and Wage Survey
Median trades earnings relative to the economy-wide median. A separate option shows the Canadian mean–median gap as a measure of skew.
Source: Statistics Canada (Labour Force Survey) · US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPS)
Three named specialty labour markets — Navy shipyards, Permian oilfield services and Data Center Alley — measured against the average American job. Two of the best-paid gave up part of their pay premium while headcount grew; one is genuinely bidding.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
A compact comparison of decade changes in real pay and employment, with sector-level context for vacancies, turnover, age, labour spending and GDP share.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Statistics Canada