Calgary's Job Market: Navigating Growth and Challenges

Calgary's job market presents a complex scenario, marked by robust population growth and elevated unemployment rates. As of October 2025, the city's unemployment rate reached 7.9%, a slight decrease from the previous month, driven by a net increase of 3,400 jobs. However, the wave of new residents continues to outpace job creation, contributing to the high unemployment figures.

Despite job growth in industries such as healthcare, construction, and retail, many Calgarians struggle with sluggish wage growth amidst rising inflation. Young job seekers, in particular, face a competitive market, with youth unemployment at 19.1% as of August 2025. The city is striving to address this imbalance through strategic initiatives aimed at improving skills training and connecting workers with job opportunities.

Calgary's Corporate Economics department forecasts a 7.5% regional unemployment rate for the year, highlighting persistent sector-specific labour shortages. Meanwhile, city and provincial governments are rolling out strategies to bridge the skills gap and support economic diversification.

This Article Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.