Alberta accounted for nearly 80 percent of Canada's job gains in past year
The province added nearly 80,000 jobs while all of Canada added 99,000, with most new work in health care and social assistance.
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Alberta has dominated Canada's job creation over the past year, adding nearly 80,000 positions while the entire country added just 99,000 — a reflection of interprovincial migration and the province's growing population.
Alberta is home to roughly 12 percent of Canada's population but accounted for close to 80 percent of all jobs the national economy created in the past 12 months, according to Statistics Canada. Quebec and British Columbia shed a combined 67,000 jobs over the same period, while Ontario picked up close to 65,000.
The surge reflects affordability. The average home in the Toronto area costs over a million dollars; in Calgary and Edmonton, costs are far lower. Combined with strong wages, the price advantage is pulling people from British Columbia and southern Ontario.
Of the roughly 80,000 new Alberta jobs, about 55,000 were in health care and social assistance — a category that covers far more than hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and support services. This growth is largely a response to the incoming population. Full-time employment rose 58,500 over the year, the bulk of the gain.
However, Alberta's core industries are not booming. Construction remained relatively flat, and natural resources showed little change. Health care and public administration are carrying the province. The job market, while stable, is not robust — Alberta's seven percent unemployment rate reflects steady but modest growth.
