On this year’s International Women’s Day, the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) announced that a record number of women worked on construction sites in 2022—over 7,200, an increase of nearly 970 over 2021—accounting for 3.64% of the overall workforce.

Large numbers of women chose to begin a construction career, surpassing the 1,900 mark for a second year in a row and representing a peak of 9.32% of all newcomers to the industry.

Adopted in 2015, the Programme d’accès à l’égalité des femmes dans l’industrie de la construction (Women in construction equal opportunity program – PAEF) aims to boost the number of women practicing a trade or occupation to address and rectify the underrepresentation of women in the industry.

In 2022:

  • 7,200 women worked on construction sites (3.64%)
  • 4,300 companies hired women (15.94%)

Trades and occupations that exceeded the PAEF target:

  • 1,700 women painters (24.71%, target 15%)
  • 1,420 women carpenters (2.48%, target 2%)
  • 1,370 women workers with unskilled occupation status (4.98%, target 3%)
  • 420 women plasterers (10.27%, target 10%)
  • 120 women insulators (10.21%, target 10%)
  • 70 women resilient flooring layers (5.66%, target 3%)
  • 20 women pipe welders (3.75%, target 3%)

Last Updated on July 2, 2023