Job prospects Backhoe Operator in Prince Edward Island

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "backhoe operator" in Prince Edward Island or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Prince Edward Island

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be very good for Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400) in Prince Edward Island for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities may vary depending on the time of the year.

The prospect for employment in this occupation is good due to strong gains in both residential and non-residential investment. 

The demand for workers in this occupation is expected to remain favourable driven by continued housing development to support population growth, as well as maintenance, renovation, and repair work. Opportunities are expected to arise as there will be a need to replace workers who retire. 

Employers also usually prefer operators with at least three years of experience and with good mechanical abilities. Demand for heavy equipment operators (except crane) is seasonal with job openings more abundant in the summer months. Operators may be able to find year-round opportunities with companies such as those providing waste management, and snow ploughing and large-scale landscaping services.

Here are some key facts about Heavy equipment operators in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 500 people work in this occupation.
• Heavy equipment operators mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Construction (NAICS 23): 77%
  • Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21): 6%
• 48% of heavy equipment operators work all year, while 52% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 40 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of heavy equipment operators are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: more than 95% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: less than 5% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 22% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 52% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 18% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 7% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: n/a
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "backhoe operator" Heavy equipment operators (except crane) (NOC 73400) or across Canada.

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