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Public Works and Maintenance Labourers  (NOC 7621)
Lanaudière Region
Description |  Titles |  Duties |   Related Occupations

Public works and maintenance labourers perform a variety of labouring activities to maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and similar areas. They are employed by municipal, provincial and federal government public works departments or by private contractors under contract to governments.

garbage collector, helper – garbage collection, municipal labourer, parking meter collector, public works labourer, road maintenance worker, sewer maintenance worker, sidewalk cleaner.

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Public works and maintenance labourers perform some or all of the following duties:
  • Clean and maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and public grounds of municipality and other areas, working as member of crew
  • Sweep debris and shovel snow from streets, sidewalks, building grounds and other areas, and load snow and debris into carts or trucks
  • Shovel cement and other materials into cement mixers, spread concrete and asphalt on road surfaces using shovels, rakes and hand tampers, and perform other activities to assist in maintenance and repair of roads
  • Spread sand or salt on sidewalks for snow and ice control
  • Dig ditches and trenches using shovels and other hand tools
  • Operate jackhammers and drills to break up pavement
  • Operate power mowers and cutters to cut lawns and grass along roadsides
  • Cut trees, trim branches, rake leaves, apply fertilizer and insecticides by hand, and water public lawns, trees and shrubs
  • Load and unload trucks with supplies and equipment
  • Collect money from coin boxes of parking meters along established route
  • Collect and load refuse on garbage trucks
  • Assist equipment operators to secure attachments to equipment or trucks
  • Assist in routine maintenance and repair of equipment
  • Assist skilled tradespersons such as carpenters, plumbers and mechanics
  • May operate mobile sidewalk-cleaning equipment.
Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Berthierville, Joliette, L'Épiphanie, Saint-Gabriel, Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Terrebonne, Domaine-Asselin, Domaine-Ouellet, Lavaltrie, Saint-Antoine-de-Lavaltrie

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View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Public Works and Maintenance Labourers in Lanaudière Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

National Outlook – 10-Year Projection (2011-2020)

This section provides labour demand and labour supply projections for this occupation over the 2011-2020 period.

Note: The tables, graphs and middle paragraph shown under this section display updated 2011-2020 projection results. The remaining narrative text (2009-2018 projections) will be updated shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The data in the following table are derived from HRSDC’s Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). COPS uses a variety of models to produce a detailed 10-year labour market projection per broad skill level and per occupation at the national level, which focuses on the trends of labour supply and labour demand over the next ten years.

This occupation (Public Works and Maintenance Labourers) is part of a larger occupational group called Public Works and Other Labourers, n.e.c. (NOC 762).

Table on the demographic profile for your chosen occupation at the national level.
Occupations in this group Public Works and Maintenance Labourers (7621) 
Railway and Motor Transport Labourers (7622) 
Employment (non-student) in 2010 21,846
Median Age of workers in 2010 40
Average Retirement Age in 2010 63

Occupation Projection for Canada

Over the 2008-2010 period, this occupation experienced a significant decrease in employment and an increase in the unemployment rate, which remained high in comparison to the rate for all occupations (15.6% compared to 7.6% in 2010). The average hourly wage for this occupation increased at the same rate as for all of the economy. According to the key labour market indicators, the number of job seekers was more than sufficient to fill job openings in this occupation.

Over the 2011-2020 period, an occupation will be in excess demand (a shortage of workers) if the projected number of job openings is significantly greater than the projected number of job seekers. An occupation will be in excess supply (a surplus of workers) if the projected number of job openings is smaller than the projected number of job seekers. For Public Works And Other Labourers, N.E.C., over the 2011-2020 period, job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 7,243 and 6,012 job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill the job openings.

Based on projections and considering that labour supply exceeded demand in this occupation, it is expected that there will continue to be more job seekers than job openings over the 2011-2020 period. Despite a retirement rate comparable to the average for all occupations, most job openings will arise from replacement needs due to retirement. The number of job openings resulting from economic growth will be slightly higher than over the 2001-2010 period. However, job growth will remain weak compared to other occupations given the expected decrease in spending by municipalities and other levels of government as they deal with major deficits. In terms of supply, the majority of job seekers will come from the school system.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.
Table of job opening projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category Openings %
Expansion Demand 1,007 14%
Retirements 5,191 72%
Other Replacement Demand 570 8%
Emigration 476 7%
Projected Job Openings 7,243 100%
Table of job seeker projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category Seekers %
School Leavers 6,274 104%
Immigration 663 11%
Other -924 -15%
Projected Job Seekers 6,012 100%
[ Source: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) ]

In which industry or sector do people in this occupation find jobs in Canada?

This table shows the industry and sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.

This table shows the industry sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.
Industry / Sector %
Public administration 55.50
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services 19.50
Utilities 5.70
Wholesale trade 4.20
Construction 4.10
Transportation and warehousing 3.60
Manufacturing 3.20
[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are self-employed?

The graph displays the percentage of people in this occupation who are “self-employed”, according to the 2006 Census, in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

As shown in the graph, according to the 2006 Census, 2% of people in this occupation were self-employed, while the average for all occupations was 12%.

The data from the Labour Force Survey (2009) regarding self-employment for this group are not sufficiently reliable to be published.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are members of a union?

This occupation (Public Works and Maintenance Labourers) is part of a larger group called Public Works and Other Labourers, n.e.c. (NOC 762). According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), the unionization rate for this group was 59%, while the unionization rate for all occupations was 31%.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]
Please consult the Lanaudière Region and Québec tabs for more useful information related to outlook.