Canadians flocking to Alberta despite unemployment rate, rising housing costs

Alberta attracted more interprovincial migrants than anywhere else in Canada in the first three months of 2023.

The province gained 15,786 residents from elsewhere in the country. Meanwhile, B.C. and Ontario saw net losses of 712 and 14,732, respectively. 

However, Alberta's unemployment rate is higher than both B.C. and Ontario, at 5.7 per cent. The national unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent in May. 

Cristina Schultz, a recruiting manager with About Staffing in Calgary, says there's a disconnect between some new arrivals' expectations and the Alberta job market. 

Schultz said many interprovincial migrants move from Ontario, which boasts different job market conditions, and arrive in Alberta seeking remote or hybrid positions. 

"That's just not plentiful here in Alberta," said Schultz. "Employers are seeking those who are in office and are actually coming to the physical space."

Larissa Lisboa moved her family from London, Ont., to Edmonton about a month ago. 

After being laid off from a previous position, Lisboa said she started job hunting in Alberta because layoffs created intense competition in Ontario. 

"There was like a crisis," she said. "Many good people are on the market looking for jobs."

Ontario's unemployment rate increased from 4.9 per cent in April to 5.5 per cent in May 2023. 

Lisboa said she received job offers in both Edmonton and Toronto but chose Edmonton because of the cost of living. 

"We realized that we would have a much better life here than in Toronto," she said. 

Many workers are basing their decision on housing affordability, according to Schultz. 

A two-bedroom apartment in Edmonton rents for an average of $1,500. Two-bedroom apartments in Toronto and Vancouver are more than twice as expensive.