Alberta, April 2023 - Job market snapshot
Get a snapshot of key facts about the state of Alberta's labour market in the past month.
Employment in Alberta decreased very slightly in April, by 1,900 jobs (-0.1%). This was the first time employment decreased in nearly six months. The unemployment rate increased slightly to end up at 5.9%. Despite the monthly employment decrease, employment in the province is 3.2% (76,700 jobs) higher than it was in April 2022.
Alberta's job market by the numbers
Working population
2,443,100
Down -0.1% since March
Unemployment rate
5.9%
Up since March
Industries in focus
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas
March132,600
April131,500
Employment in the forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas sector decreased by 1,100 jobs (-0.8%) on a monthly basis in April. On an annual basis, employment decreased by 13,900 jobs (-9.6%). The price of a barrel of Western Canadian Select (WCS) increased on a monthly basis in April. However, on an annual basis, a barrel of WCS was down by $24.66 (-27.7%) compared to April 2022.
Wholesale and retail trade
March360,800
April356,700
In the wholesale and retail trade sector, employment decreased by 4,100 jobs (-1.1%) on a monthly basis and by -20,600 jobs (-5.5%) on an annual basis. It appears as though consumer spending may be cooling off in anticipation of an economic slowdown. In Alberta, retail sales decreased by 0.9% in February, the first decrease in five months.
Professional, scientific and technical services
March254,400
April255,700
In April, employment in the professional, scientific and technical services sector increased by 1,300 jobs (+0.5%). On annual basis, employment in the sector grew by 50,000 (+24.3%), making it the second fastest growing sector annually, slightly behind the transportation and warehousing sector. Job prospects in the sector remain strong for the short to medium term.
Unemployment rate by region
Banff–Jasper–Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca–Grande Prairie–Peace River
Calgary
Camrose–Drumheller
Edmonton
Lethbridge–Medicine Hat
Red Deer
Wood Buffalo–Cold Lake
The unemployment rate was lowest in Wood Buffalo–Cold Lake and highest in Red Deer.
A closer look at some regions
Calgary
In Calgary, employment increased by 24,300 (+2.7%) on an annual basis. The unemployment rate in the region decreased by 0.6 percentage points to end up at 6.4%. In April, the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., the City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta announced that they are partnering on a $1.22B deal to build a new event centre to replace the existing Saddledome in downtown Calgary.
What else is happening in this region?
Edmonton
In absolute terms, Edmonton had the highest employment increase in the province, adding 44,500 jobs (+5.5%) compared to April 2022. Edmonton's unemployment rate decreased by 0.8 percentage points to end up at 6.4%. In April, the provincial government announced that it was committing $30M in capital for a new recovery community in partnership with the Enoch Cree Nation, with construction expected to begin in early 2024.
What else is happening in this region?
Lethbridge–Medicine Hat
The Lethbridge-Medicine Hat region was the only region that did not see job growth compared to April 2022. Employment in the region decreased by 2,400 jobs (-1.6%). The unemployment rate in the region increased by 0.3 percentage points to end up at 5.7%.
What else is happening in this region?
Last data refresh: 2023-06-05 23:00:04
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