Seven skilled trades provided work for about one million people in 2007, Statistics Canada reports. The occupations — plumbers, carpenters, masons, electricians, machinists, mechanics and crane operators — have seen steady employment growth since a brief decline during the mid-1990s.

Men dominate the trades — 97 per cent in 2007. But the workers are getting older, with the average age increasing to 41, a rise of four years since 1987.

Almost all workers in the trades have full-time jobs (97 per cent in 2007), while a growing number are working for themselves, with self-employment growing to 15 per cent in 2007 from nine per cent in 1987.

Here's a closer look at who's building our homes and offices, fixing our leaky pipes and taking care of our cars.