Construction employment in Abbotsford was more than 20 per cent higher in January than during the same period in 2014, according to statistics from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA).

The number of construction jobs grew to 11,400 in January 2015. While that number was up just slightly (0.9 per cent) from December, it was 22.6 per cent above the January 2014 total.

The VRCA attributed the growth to residential construction projects in the city.

“Abbotsford’s growth points to opportunities for the construction sector,” VRCA president Fiona Famulak said in a news release. “Building permit activity, typically an indicator of future construction, increased across the region in 2014. We expect construction employment to strengthen later in 2015, as well.”

Famulak said moderate growth in the regional economy and low interest rates will support construction activity in 2015.

The increase was at odds with numbers elsewhere, as employment in Metro Vancouver dropped 1.1 per cent between December and January and was 14.5 per cent below figures from January of 2014.