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(Image courtesy of BCCA)
As it released its spring Stat Pack, the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) raised red flags regarding new data on payment certainty in the construction industry. Its annual BC Construction Industry Survey report found that payment is a top concern, with 91 per cent of employer respondents reporting being paid late at one time this past year for completed work and 69 per cent having not being paid at least once at all for work completed in the past year.
The association says the B.C. government’s failure to pass prompt payment legislation means critical construction projects carry additional risk, and payments are not being made for completed work.
“From tariffs and lack of prompt payment to labour shortages and faltering public sector standards on permits, contracts and procurement, hard-working British Columbians are struggling with excessive and unnecessary uncertainty,” said BCCA president Chris Atchison. “The provincial government must deliver on strategies and initiatives that better support construction in B.C.”
According to the BCCA, people working in construction are reporting that the lack of payment certainty keeps them up at night. Additional concerns include workforce shortages and economic turbulence, anxieties that the organization says have sharpened since the beginning of 2025 as Canada grapples with the Trump administration’s threats and tariffs.
“At a time when supporting domestic and local industries to strengthen our province and economy is more important than ever, payment certainty is absolutely critical,” added Atchison. “Fixing the prompt payment problem will improve cash flow for British Columbians and support contractors in managing their staff, evolving supply chains and onerous regulatory regimes without taking on extra debt and financial expenses amidst an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”
Industry statistics compiled by BCCA point to how critical the construction industry is to the province, ranking as B.C.’s number 1 employer in the province’s goods sector, and accounting for 10 per cent of the province’s GDP. More than 250,000 people in B.C. directly rely on the industry for a paycheque. The industry is expected to deliver some $331 billion in value via major projects to the province over the next few years, building critical infrastructure, essential and affordable housing, and contributing to the overall economic resilience of British Columbia.
Based on figures included in the Stat Pack, there are$172.5 billion of proposed construction projects in the province, and current major construction projects underway are valued at $158 billion. There are currently more than 11,000 job vacancies in B.C.’s construction sector, and the industry is projecting the labour shortage to result in more than 14,000 construction jobs going unfilled in B.C. by 2034.
The Spring 2025 B.C. Construction Industry Stat Pack is available at bccassn.com/2025SpringStatPack.