Quebec’s construction industry is lagging behind Ontario in terms of productivity.

To reduce this gap, trades need to be decompartmentalized and inter-regional worker mobility increased.

The plea comes from the Quebec construction association (ACQ), based on a study it commissioned on productivity in the industry.

The employers’ association also carried out a consultation by asking 112 contractors to assess to what extent and by what means their productivity could be increased.

“The average productivity gap between Quebec and Ontario was 7.56 per cent, but this rose to 10.4 per cent in 2022, indicating a certain deterioration. Given the similarity between the two economies, their geographical proximity and the fact that the effects of inflation are taken into account, it is difficult to explain what justifies such a gap,” the study states.

The contractors consulted estimated that decompartmentalizing construction trades to make workers more versatile would allow “potential savings” of 10 per cent in working hours, which would reduce the productivity gap with Ontario by a third.

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