Alberta organizations are tackling ongoing provincial unemployment rates, specifically among those new to the workforce, as the numbers continue to lag slightly behind the national rate. In August 2026, Alberta’s economic dashboard reported an unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent, slightly higher than what Statistics Canada says is the national rate of 6.4 per cent. Students at a University of Alberta job fair on Wednesday describe the job market as “less than ideal.” “It’s pretty cooked,” one told CTV News Edmonton. The province’s latest numbers suggest the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 is more than twice the 6.8 per cent rate for the general population. U of A assistant dean Blessie Mathew says that could, in part, be due to how students market themselves. “What we want students to think about is not so much their degree, but the skill, experience, competencies that they’re graduating with that they can package and articulate to an employer,” she said on Wednesday. “Some of what we’re hearing is that there is a mismatch between what the demands in industry might be right now and what students from post-secondary are graduating with.” The Alberta government says its WorkFirst tool helps employers, industry experts and community organizations sift through qualifications without writing candidates off. A summit of industry players held Wednesday was meant to discuss what organizers called a “challenging moment worldwide” for the economy. The WorkFirst Alberta Talent Exchange – first launched in 2025, but without the matchmaking concierge portion – uses smart technology to match an applicant’s skills and experience with an employer. “This means that employers can more easily fill urgent roles and find a diverse range of quality candidates who can do the work, but whose abilities may not have been reflected in conventional resumes,” a media release from the province said. Independent management consultant Ian Treasure said that includes those who experience “multiple barriers” to employment, such as those experiencing homelessness, who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, recovering from mental illness, escaping domestic violence or rehabilitating after time spent in prison. “We can help anybody find work and find that connection and sense of purpose that we all crave,” he said. Wednesday’s U of A tables suggest employers in construction, mining, oil and gas and social service fields were all looking for new hires. Short-term labour market forecasts from the Government of Alberta suggest technical trades, health care and health-care aides and operations fields were predicted to experience “mild to notable shortages” in 2026. Mathew hopes students are also able to put aside their snap judgements about an employer. “No organization is going to thrive with only one type of employee. We want students not to just look at the employer name or an industry and make assumptions about who they’re hiring, but to really go have those conversations so they can demystify what they’re looking for.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny
