posted January 29, 2006 01:57 AM         

VANCOUVER (CP) - From the construction industry in Vancouver to the oilsands projects in northern Alberta, employers in Western Canada are strapped for workers and looking across Canada to fill vacancies.

In Vancouver, an already booming construction industry had been made hotter by the demands of the start of Olympic venues for the 2010 Winter Games. Keith Sashaw, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, says the number of people employed by the industry in the Vancouver area has grown from around 60,000 at the start of last year to more than 83,000 now.

"We have seen a huge increase in the number of people working in construction, but that being said there still is a need for more workers in construction," he said.

The value of building permits issued in B.C. through the first 11 months of last year was $9.27 billion, up 27 per cent from the same period in 2004, according to Statistics Canada.

Sashaw said some contractors are looking as far afield as Europe for staff.

"Quite frankly we're getting inquiries from around the world from people with various skill sets that are looking for opportunities in British Columbia."

According to Statistics Canada, there were 19,150 people receiving unemployment benefits in Alberta in November, down nearly 30 per cent from November 2004. Average weekly earnings in Alberta increased six per cent over the same period, the fastest growth in the country.

In B.C. the number of jobless was 47,020 in November, down 16 per cent from a year earlier, and average weekly earnings grew 4.9 per cent year-over-year.

"We're advertising out of province, we're advertising right across Canada," said Leanne McArthur, operations manager for Macenna staffing in Fort St. John, B.C.

McArthur said companies in Fort St. John are looking for skilled workers in all fields from warehouse workers to oilfield operators.

One challenge, she said, is that while job seekers might have qualifications on paper, they may not be ready to work in the oilfields.

"We were looking for 20 electricians and we did find some, but now that they've arrived and the company has employed them there is a lot of training that's going to be needed," she said.