A new survey says most Canadian construction companies are still coping with a shortage of skilled labour, however their productivity and efficiency has improved in recent years as a result of investments in technology.

KPMG in Canada’s third biennial survey on digital maturity and tech adoption in the construction industry found a shift is underway. Nearly eight in 10 respondents indicated that procurement processes are changing to encourage innovation and digital adoption.

The survey of 265 construction companies across Canada, conducted from March 18 to April 4 in collaboration with the Canadian Construction Association, also highlighted the need for tech investment to continue ramping up throughout the industry amid a growing labour shortage.

In recent years, experts have been sounding the alarm as the construction industry faces the dual challenges of replacing soon-to-retire workers while trying to grow the sector to address Canada’s rising need for homes.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association has estimated 22 per cent of residential construction workers are set to retire over the next decade. It has also said Canada would need more than one million additional residential construction workers to meet the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s target of boosting home construction by 3.5 million units by 2030 in order to restore affordability.