Canadian steel mill jobs have fallen by more than 50% since 2003

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OTTAWA — Steel mills in Canada employ roughly half the number of workers they did two decades ago, and the latest numbers don’t include cuts stemming from recent escalations in the U.S.-led trade war.

In July, 14,245 Canadians were employed in the industry, according to data released by Statistics Canada, compared with an industry high of 28,859 in January 2003.

That represents a loss of more than 14,600 jobs, or just over 50%, over the past 23 years.

The latest figures were released Sept. 24, weeks before Stelco idled its cold-rolled and coated steel lines in Hamilton.

Stelco cutting 500 jobs

Blaming economic strain caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, Stelco owner Cleveland-Cliffs announced plans to lay off 500 workers at its plants in Hamilton and Nanticoke — a decision being challenged by the federal government.

When Cleveland-Cliffs acquired Stelco in 2024 for $3.4 billion, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said agreements were made under the Investment Canada Act to prevent such deep job cuts.

But Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves maintains he is well within his rights to trim his staff and says he’s prepared to defend his position in court.

Steel mill employment on the decline

Current trade tensions aside, employment prospects for Canada’s steelworkers have been dwindling.

Employment at Canadian steel mills has continued to decline since 2024, with July’s job count representing a drop of 506 positions, or 3.4%, from a year earlier.

Compared with July 2024, employment was down 7%.

Employment at steel mills fell to 13,709 across Canada last December, the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic drove the industry’s workforce down to 13,653, the lowest figure on record.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

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