Hiring challenges are expected to ease in Calgary over the next couple of years, but some sectors — including construction, retail, education and hospitality — could face labour shortages for the next decade. Calgary's labour market is expected to cool over the next couple of years before staffing challenges are projected to re-emerge in the next budget cycle — but labour shortages in certain sectors could persist for the next decade.
According to the report, Calgary's aging population mixed with a post-pandemic surge in demand for workers led to a tighter labour market in recent years. But record numbers of people moving to Alberta started to cool the market last year, a trend that is expected to last until about 2026. The report said construction, retail, education, and hospitality come out on top of long-term labour shortages.
Janet Lane is the director of skills, innovation and productivity at the Canada West Foundation, a public policy think tank based in Calgary. Advocating for immigration policies to target workers of the right age, who are equipped with the right skills.