Alberta’s Labour Shortage: Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Although Alberta’s red-hot employment market is making news, existing trends point to a shortage of 332,000 workers in the province by 2025. Alberta’s Labour Shortage: Just the Tip of the Iceberg examines labour supply and demand in the province over the next 20 years and how The Conference Board of Canada estimates Alberta’s labour shortfall. A massive shortfall of workers in an economy is not sustainable over the long term, and the report suggests that a comprehensive strategy be introduced to dramatically increase the availability of qualified workers between now and 2025. This strategy could include improved training and apprenticeship programs, initiatives to make it easier for workers from other provinces to move to Alberta, better mechanisms for recognizing foreign credentials and prior learning assessments, and making better use of older workers and under-employed groups such as Aboriginal Canadians.