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CALGARY — Alberta’s future economic growth will depend heavily on attracting and retaining workers from Canada and abroad, according to a new Calgary Chamber of Commerce report warning labour shortages could constrain investment across the province.
The Chamber says 65 per cent of Alberta businesses are already struggling to find workers, while 51 per cent of surveyed Calgary Chamber members say immigrant employees are important to their operations.
Provincial projections cited in the report show Alberta could add 1.9 million residents between 2025 and 2051, with 81 per cent of that growth expected to come through migration.
International migration is projected to account for 62 per cent of the increase, while another 19 per cent is expected to come from people moving to Alberta from elsewhere in Canada.
Calgary Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin said immigration should be considered part of a broader workforce strategy that also includes training, skills development and increasing workforce participation.
“As Alberta’s workforce and labour demands evolve, we need to make it easier, not harder, for businesses to access the labour they need to sustain the province’s long-term competitiveness and economic growth,” Yedlin said.
A Chamber survey conducted by Abacus Data found 47 per cent of respondents believe recent or proposed immigration policy changes would negatively affect their business, compared with 11 per cent who expect a positive effect.
The survey also found 52 per cent of respondents do not support increased provincial control over immigration, while 51 per cent do not believe Alberta should limit eligibility for provincially funded programs.
Concern was higher among some larger employers.
The Chamber says 71 per cent of businesses with more than 50 employees consider immigrant workers important to their ability to operate effectively.
More than 55 per cent of businesses with operations outside Calgary expressed concern about the effect of immigration reforms.
The report identifies construction, agriculture and manufacturing as sectors particularly exposed to labour shortages.
It also raises concerns about proposed government fees, saying employers could ultimately bear additional costs at a time when businesses are already dealing with higher wages.
Research prepared for the Chamber by economist Trevor Tombe estimates immigrants paid more than $4.1 billion in Alberta personal income taxes in 2026.
Immigrants under 40 contributed about $1.1 billion, with their net provincial fiscal contribution estimated at just under $1 billion after accounting for selected provincial family programs, workers’ compensation and social assistance.
The Chamber says Alberta’s need for workers could become more pressing as major capital projects move forward.
“Alberta is on the cusp of a period of capital investment not seen in decades,” Yedlin said.
“This will put increased pressure on our labour force to meet the needs of companies investing in these projects.”
The Chamber is recommending Alberta maintain immigration pathways tied to workforce needs, speed up foreign credential recognition, reduce barriers to interprovincial mobility and continue investing in domestic skills training.
It says Alberta has historically relied heavily on workers arriving from elsewhere.
According to the report, 49 per cent of Albertans were born outside the province, including 26 per cent born outside Canada and 23 per cent elsewhere in the country.
Since 2000, immigration has added roughly 892,000 people to Alberta’s population, while net flows of non-permanent residents have added another 231,000.
The Chamber says 40.6 per cent of immigrants in Alberta have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 25.1 per cent of Canadian-born residents.
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