Employment

Central Alberta's goods and services industry outshone the rest of the province during the last half-decade, according to labour force statistics. While Alberta's overall goods and services labour force remained relatively static from 2002 to 2006, the number of people who chose to work in those sectors in Central Alberta grew substantially during that period. The goods producing sector saw an 11% increase in its labour force while the services sector enjoyed 9% growth.

Competition for labour during the past five years also resulted in significant increases in workforce numbers for retail trade, construction, health care and social assistance, forestry, fishing, mining, and oil and gas. Meanwhile, the agriculture and manufacturing sectors experienced a slight reduction in labour force size.

The greatest workforce gains occurred in: business, building and other support services (65.6%); public administration (56.8%); and forestry, fishing, mining, and oil and gas (28.7%). A tight labour market was felt by the following industries: information, culture, and recreation; transportation and warehousing; and accommodation and food services. Workforce numbers in these sectors shrunk by 26.8%, 12.2% and 4.9% respectively. But despite their labour challenges, all three of these industry groups experienced growth in 2006.

The following pie charts illustrate the shares that different industries in Central Alberta have in regards to total employment.

Employment Shares by Industry Central Alberta

For the latest information about Central Alberta’s workforce, visit Alberta Learning Information Service’s WAGEinfo microsite. ALIS puts out an annual Wage and Salary Survey that outlines information about employment in the province, by sector and by region.