Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be very good for Carpenters (72310) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities may vary depending on the time of the year.

The prospect for employment in this occupation is good as there continues to be a shortage of workers and unfilled vacancies in the province due to strong gains in both residential and non-residential investment. The demand for workers in this occupation is expected to remain favourable driven by continued housing development to support population growth, as well as maintenance, renovation, and repair work In response to the province’s low vacancy rate and housing shortage, the P.E.I. government announced plans to rebate the provincial portion of the HST on new rental builds. This follows the federal announcement to remove GST charges as well and its portion of the HST on new rental builds to induce new developments. Opportunities are expected to arise as there will be a need to replace workers who retire.

Self-employment may be another avenue to secure work as it is rather common in this field. The demand for these skilled workers tends to fluctuate seasonally, with employment needs strongest during the summer months and declining at other times of the year leading to periods of unemployment. Carpenters will need to keep abreast of advancements in technology which are shaping the occupation. For instance, workers will need to be able to read computer generated blueprints and be familiar with the latest tools. Also, carpenters should be mobile as they will be required to travel to various job sites across the region. Employment prospects will be better for experienced workers with specialized carpentry skills. Employment opportunities in other provinces may impact on the available pool of carpenters in Prince Edward Island.  Because many experienced and skilled carpenters return to seasonal jobs with the same employers each year, those with entry-level skills may encounter competition for available employment opportunities. Those interested in establishing their own business may wish to explore investment opportunities in this occupation. In addition, due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities will vary depending on the time of the year. Employment opportunities tend to be more favourable during the summer months.

Here are some key facts about Carpenters in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 900 people work in this occupation.
• Carpenters mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Construction (NAICS 23): 92%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 94% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 6% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 50% of carpenters work all year, while 50% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 41 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• 30% of carpenters are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: more than 95% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: less than 5% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 16% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 28% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 30% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 21% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor’s degree: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations

Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages