Construction Industry Wage Rate Surveys and Development of federal Fair Wage Schedules
The National Construction Industry Wage Rate Surveys and Fair Wage Schedules
These pages contain information about the Statistics Canada National Construction Industry Wage Rate Surveys in each province and territory since 1999 and the related Fair Wage Schedules produced by HRDC - Labour Branch for trades workers employed on construction contracts awarded by the federal government.
Construction Industry Involvement
Developing Fair Wage Schedules
Beyond the initial surveys - updating Schedules
Specific surveys and Schedules
New Brunswick (pilot)
Initial surveys 1999 - 2001 and first Schedules
Survey 2002 and updated Schedules and Apprentice tables
Newfoundland and Labrador
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
Survey 2002 and updated Schedules and Apprentice tables
Prince Edward Island
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
Survey 2002 and updated Schedules and Apprentice tables
Nova Scotia
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
Survey 2002 and updated Schedules and Apprentice tables
Manitoba
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
Saskatchewan
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
Ontario
Initial survey 2000 and first Schedules
Alberta
Initial survey 1999 and first Schedules
British Columbia
Initial survey 2000 and first Schedules
Northwest Territories
Initial survey 2001 and first Schedule
Nunavut
Initial survey 2001 and first Schedule
Construction Industry Wage Rate Surveys and Development of federal Fair Wage Schedules
The Labour Branch of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) regularly contracts with Statistics Canada (STC) to conduct the National Construction Industry Wage Rate Survey. The purpose of the surveys is to obtain recent, reliable and accurate information on hourly wage rates paid to trades workers in the Commercial and Institutional sectors of the construction industry. HRDC requires the information collected in the surveys to develop Fair Wage Schedules which federal government departments and crown corporations must include in construction tenders and contracts pursuant to the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act.
Statistics Canada was chosen to conduct the surveys because it is an acknowledged and well-established world leader in information gathering and statistical analysis. In addition, Statistics Canada has much experience in conducting wage-related surveys at the establishment level. In consultations with provincial construction associations and unions, it also became apparent that Statistics Canada was recognized as the agency that could provide the most accurate and objective information while still ensuring confidentiality of personal and company information.
Construction industry involvement:
Prior to each survey, HRDC and STC consult with a wide range of provincial construction associations and unions to outline the survey process, to obtain recommendations about which occupations to include in the survey and about how to combine STC Economic Regions to form fair wage zones, and to hear about any issues in the industry in the particular province which may affect the survey or its results. Recommendations of the consultation groups concerning the conduct of the survey and the development of the Schedules are acted upon to the extent possible within the boundaries of both the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act and Regulations and generally accepted statistical survey practices. After the survey is completed, survey results are made available and draft Fair Wage Schedules are distributed to members of the consultation groups for discussion and comment before the Schedules are finalized.
Statistics Canada identifies establishments to be included in the survey from its Business Register. In provinces and territories with large populations and numbers of businesses, a sample of the total number of construction establishments with 6 or more employees is surveyed. In provinces and territories where there are not enough construction establishments to produce a sample large enough to provide reliable data, the survey is conducted as a census, that is, all construction establishments with 6 or more employees are included.
Statistics Canada uses a standardized questionnaire, which was developed in concert with HRDC-Labour and the consultation groups in each province, to conduct computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) of eligible construction companies which have done work in the commercial and/or institutional sector within 12 months before the survey. In addition to information about the most often paid straight time hourly wage rate, the surveys also collect information on the highest and the lowest straight-time hourly wage rates paid to journeyman level trades workers for each of the occupations selected by the consultation groups. When an occupation has been designated by provincial legislation as a compulsory trade where a trade licence or registration in an apprenticeship program is required to legally work in the trade, Statistics Canada asks for wage information for only those workers with the required licence.
The survey is conducted according to Statistics Canada Economic Regions. When fewer than 5 establishments provide data on any occupation, the resultant wage data cannot be published for reasons of confidentiality. If a most frequently paid rate cannot be published at the level of a specific Economic Region, data from the next closest Region or Regions is added until there are more than 5 establishments contributing to the data. When a publishable rate cannot be obtained even when considering data from the entire province, the occupation in question does not appear in the survey results or on the associated Fair Wage Schedule.
Developing Fair Wage Schedules:
In developing the Fair Wage Schedules, HRDC-Labour uses the data from the most frequently paid wage rate results. According to the Act, the Schedules must reflect the prevailing current market rate for an occupation at the journeyman level within a specific district. The districts, or fair wage zones, are based on Statistics Canada Economic Regions. The Schedules reflect the most frequently paid regular 'straight time' hourly wage actually paid by contractors to workers in the trade in the particular zone. The fair wage for overtime is established by the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act as one and one half times the fair wage rate, and is payable for overtime hours established by provincial hours of work legislation.
Fair wage rates for apprentices are determined by applying the rate of pay established by the provincial government, or its designated agency, to the journeyman's fair wage rate on the Schedules. In order to ensure consistency both within any province or territory and across Canada, the Fair Wage Schedule Apprentice Tables include only those construction trades for which the provincial government or its agency has established the apprenticeship program and set the rates of pay.
Fair Wage Schedules with their appended Apprentice Tables are generally updated as frequently as survey logistics allow. Generally, every effort is made to revise and update Schedules within a maximum of four years. However, interim adjustments may be made as required to accommodate changes in provincial minimum wage or apprenticeship legislation.
The Labour Branch of HRDC distributes Schedules, as they are completed, to federal contracting authorities so that they may include them as part of the Labour Conditions required by the Act in construction tenders and contracts. Schedules are available to all others on this website, or on request to the local Labour Program office.