Canadian workers drawn to Alberta, report finds

Canadians’ migration between provinces has reached its highest level in almost a quarter century with the lure of better-paying jobs the biggest motivation, a Bank of Montreal report finds.

It said Alberta added more than 50,000 people during the 12-month span ending June 30, the highest on record, with data showing every region is experiencing population loss except this province and Saskatchewan. The BMO study also ranked the attractiveness of 19 regional labour markets as a destination, considering income, job prospects, housing affordability and tax burden. Regina topped its list, followed by Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon.

“While there are winners and losers, a mobile labour force isn’t necessarily a bad thing to the extent that resources are directed to where they are needed most,” said Robert Kavcic, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets.

Regina’s better housing affordability put it into the top spot, he said.

The report said migrants are coming mainly from British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Proportionally, however, the biggest drain is in Atlantic Canada, where combined annual outward migration has reached 11,000 people, or 0.5 per cent of the population.

“(The reason) Calgary continues to be an attractive destination for Canadian migrants is due to its high demand for labour and its continually increasing quality of life. People are confident that when they move to Calgary they will be able to find work as well as a city that they are happy to call home,” said Adam Legge, president and chief executive of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

Alberta and Saskatchewan lead the nation with unemployment rates of 4.4 and 3.6 per cent, respectively, well below the 6.9 per cent national average. The four Atlantic provinces, meanwhile, have jobless rates ranging from 9.1 per cent in Nova Scotia to 11.0 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador. Median income for the top three cities is: Regina, $70,500; Calgary, $79,300; and Edmonton, $68,200.

“Calgary is an attractive market for Canadians,” said Ben Brunnen, a Calgary economic consultant. “Alberta GDP has grown by at least four per cent each year since 2010, while most provinces west of Manitoba have been lucky to grow by two per cent.

“Structurally, the Canadian economy is favouring resource development in Western Canada, and the interprovincial migration numbers show this. In Calgary, incomes are high, unemployment is low and housing affordability is reasonable.”

Among the least attractive of the 19 areas surveyed, BMO listed Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, London, Ont., and New Brunswick in that order from the bottom.