Grande Prairie could see up to 85,000 jobs in post-pandemic rebound, study suggests
CBC
Post-pandemic job recovery is underway for Grande Prairie as the northwestern Alberta region is expected to see more than 85,000 jobs by 2028.
According to a new workforce study by Deloitte, factors such as family-friendliness, K-12 education, job opportunities, and higher wages are attracting people to work and stay in the region.
The report surveyed 465 employees and job seekers in the region, from April to May 2023, and 195 employers from February to March 2023.
A large majority of workers — about 400 — are satisfied with the quality of life in the region, the study says.
The report says job losses during the pandemic are expected to be fully reversed between 2022 and 2028. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by four per cent.
The majority of workers, 92 per cent, reported being satisfied with the region as a place to work. Reasonable commute times, job security, and access to benefits and sick pay all earned high scores among employees and job seekers.
The region's population is younger than Alberta's overall population, with 30 per cent of the northwestern region's residents between 25 and 44 years old. This bodes well for the region's economy, the study notes, as there will not be significant retirements in the near future, provided that young workers stay in the region long-term.
"A younger community can improve innovation, adaptability, diversity, inclusion, and long-term growth," the report states.
Jackie Clayton, mayor of Grande Prairie, said the city is prioritizing areas things like childcare and public transportation to enhance the convenience for workers and residents.
"When kids are happy, parents are happy," Clayton said. "Looking into all those little items that have an impact in people's overall quality of life has been a priority, while also being very strategic in where the opportunities for growth are in our region."
In the report, employers noted that it's easier to retain workers rather than attract workers to the region.
"Unless you've been here, it's really hard to understand what we have to offer," said Tanya Oliver, CEO of Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce.
"We have city amenities, we have small town amenities, we have rural life. We have a wide variety of opportunities here for different styles of life," she said.
"But it's hard to communicate that properly out to the masses."
Saskatoon resident Delynne Bortis knew her commute to work Tuesday morning would be particularly difficult.
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