The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is warning that changes to Alberta’s immigration policies could make it more difficult for businesses to find the workers they need as the province prepares for a period of significant economic growth. On Thursday, the chamber released a report outlining recommendations it says would help Alberta attract and retain workers amid ongoing labour shortages, an aging workforce and an acute skills gap. “Immigration is one part of a broader workforce strategy that also includes training, skill development and workforce participation,” Calgary Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Deborah Yedlin said in a news release. “Alberta’s long-term success depends on policies that allow us to draw on all of these sources of talent.” According to the chamber, 65 per cent of businesses are already struggling to find workers. A recent survey of Calgary Chamber members conducted by Abacus Data found 51 per cent said immigrant employees are important to their operations. That number rises to 71 per cent among businesses with more than 50 employees. The chamber says its members are concerned about proposed changes to Alberta’s immigration system. Forty-seven per cent of respondents said recent or proposed changes to immigration policies would negatively affect their business, while only 11 per cent said they expected the changes to have a positive impact. More than half of respondents (52 per cent) said they were unsupportive of increased provincial control over immigration. Another 51 per cent said they did not believe Alberta should limit eligibility for provincially funded programs. The chamber says businesses are also concerned about proposed fees that could increase the cost of hiring immigrant workers. It says the impact could be particularly significant in industries such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing, where labour shortages are already a challenge. The chamber estimates immigration will account for the majority of Alberta’s population growth over the coming decades. According to the provincial data, Alberta is projected to add 1.9 million residents between 2025 and 2051, with 81 per cent of that growth expected to come from migration. The chamber says 62 per cent of that growth is expected to come from international migration, while 19 per cent is expected to come from people moving to Alberta from other provinces. “Businesses have repeatedly cited the availability of labour as a growth constraint, and now, more than ever, Alberta businesses need stable, reliable and competitive paths for labour attraction and retention,” Yedlin said. The report also points to the economic contribution of immigrants. 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 the age of 40 contributed approximately $1.1 billion, with a net provincial fiscal contribution of just under $1 billion after accounting for selected provincial programs, according to the chamber. The report says 40.6 per cent of immigrants have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 25.1 per cent of Canadian-born individuals. The chamber is recommending Alberta maintain immigration pathways that respond to the province’s workforce needs and improve foreign credential recognition so qualified newcomers can work in their existing professions sooner. It also suggests the province to continue reducing barriers to interprovincial mobility and investing in domestic workforce training and employment programs. “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 says attracting workers from outside Alberta and Canada will be an important part of meeting that demand. “People moving to Alberta bring with them skills and education – and with Canada committed to deploying capital and advancing big projects – immigration is the fastest way for us to bring in skills and compete on a global level,” Yedlin said. Survey methodology Abacus Data conducted an online survey of 137 chamber members from June 8 to 22. All members were sent an email with a secure link to the survey, with multiple reminders sent to those who had yet to complete it. Respondents were broadly representative of the membership in terms of company size, and no weighting was applied to the results. As an online survey is a sample of convenience, no margin of error can be ascribed. However, a random and representative sample of 137 members would have a margin of error of ± 8.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
