Is there a skills gap in Alberta's labour market? Two economists weigh in
CBC
Alberta's labour market is in a state of flux, but not everyone agrees about what's actually happening on the ground.
Budget documents released earlier this year posit that Alberta is facing a skills gap: unemployment remains a pressing concern, but employers are reporting challenges filling vacancies.
The 2022-25 Fiscal Plan points a finger at the pandemic for having caused shifts in the labour market, including increased automation and digitization, changes to workplace structures and older Albertans opting to leave the workforce at an increased rate.
"These developments have resulted in an uneven labour market recovery. Employment in some sectors continues to lag, while other sectors face pronounced skill shortages," the plan states, citing a survey by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce that reported nearly half of respondents were dealing with staff shortages, and an RBC study that predicts demand for workers is going to climb as the province continues to recover from the pandemic and sees demand in the oil and gas and construction sectors.
And even though jobs have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, there are several key demographics where the province worries employment levels are lower than they ought to be.
On Tuesday, Premier Jason Kenney outlined the details of a $600 million jobs plan, funding various education and retraining initiatives to help address labour market issues.
CBC asked two economists to weigh in on what's happening in Alberta's labour market.
University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe said there are some challenges facing the province's labour market – notably that older workers aren't jumping back in – but he questions the narrative that there aren't people qualified for available positions.
"Employers are absolutely looking for workers. But the evidence that it's really a skills mismatch is, I think, unclear," he said.
Tombe said there are many more job vacancies than there were pre-pandemic and that the postings are remaining unfilled for longer. But many of the wanted ads are for service industry jobs, and only 32 per cent of vacancies require more than a high school diploma.
Tombe said he can only speculate as to why people haven't returned to those types of jobs, but said the market will adjust, either through wages increasing to attract applicants or through employers learning how to be more efficient and get by with fewer staff.
Despite that, Tombe said the province's plan to invest in job training and education is a good one, and he hopes the plan detailed by Kenney Tuesday is just the beginning of investment in education opportunities.
Tombe said it's important to remember that while employment has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, Alberta is still about 60,000 jobs short of recovering from the major recession it was still working its way out of in March 2020.
Some Alberta energy companies have recently reported they've been having a hard time finding workers as the industry rebounds.
The Yukon's energy provider says Whitehorse is not at imminent risk of blackouts, but with very cold weather forecasted through the holidays, residents are still being asked to conserve power.
A pedestrian is dead after a vehicle crashed into a building in Toronto, said police.
RCMP in Inuvik, N.W.T., say two youth have been arrested after officers found suspected cocaine and a loaded firearm at a home in the community.
Canada and 13 other countries issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Alberta health officials are flagging the circulation of a rare bacteria known as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) among homeless adults living in Calgary.
The future of a prominent building in London's Old East Village (OEV), once home to the London Food Incubator, is looking uncertain following the relocation of its anchor tenant and the planned departure of another.
As Yukon continues to deal with a prolonged spell of extreme cold, emergency officials are advising people to be prepared in case of a power outage.
Police say they have found and arrested 47-year-old Douglas Yetman, a man wanted for murder.
Confirmed flu cases in northeastern Ontario are much higher now than they were at the same period last year.
The organization that represents some of America's largest spirits producers is calling for the NSLC to remove a policy that gives preferential markup to Nova Scotian spirit products.
Some energy experts are challenging N.B. Power’s claim that a proposed billion-dollar power plant is needed to avoid an electricity shortage predicted for 2028.
After walking a few laps around the shop, Maria Castagna picks up a glass ornament in the form of a pink, sparkly ice cream cone and smiles widely.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says he has much unfinished work from his first term in office, as he prepares to make his pitch to voters ahead of the 2026 election.