Trading places: Economic slump a boon for worker-hungry N.L. contractors

Construction companies in Newfoundland and Labrador that only a few weeks ago were begging for skilled workers are now being flooded with resumes, an official says.

"Shocked, I guess, is probably the best way to describe it," said Craig Power, executive director of the Construction Labour Relations Association, which represents construction companies in the province.

The global financial crisis has shaken every corner of the Canadian economy, although the impact has been especially sharp in Alberta's oilpatch, where companies have shelved expansion plans and rapidly scaled back development work.

Power said that only three months ago he was fielding calls from two to three companies a week that could not find enough skilled labour to supply their contracts.

"[They] were very concerned — not in panic mode — but very concerned about the out-migration of our trades talent," Power said Friday.

"From that point to almost an overnight event, the switch turned off. We've got opportunities out in Alberta that don't exist anymore [and] we have opportunities in Newfoundland that just came to an end."

Power said the range of affected jobs is broad, and includes carpenters, pipefitters and plumbers.

For years, local employers have been competing — often in vain — with Alberta companies that have offered pay rates far above what the local market could offer.

Power said while the job climate in Newfoundland and Labrador is slow at the moment, he is confident that will not last long.

On the horizon are major projects, including Vale Inco's construction of a processing plant in Long Harbour and preliminary work on the Hebron offshore oil project, among others.

"The future is extremely bright," Power said.