Alberta employers and skilled workers have reported broadly positive views of the province’s business and job markets, although workers were considerably more likely to report improving conditions.
Two complementary Ipsos surveys conducted for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum found 56% of employers rated the current business climate for their industry as good, compared with 16% who rated it as poor.
Among skilled workers, 62% described the current job market as good. Eleven percent said it was poor.
The two groups differed more sharply when assessing changes over the previous year. Also, 30 of employers said business conditions had worsened during the past 12 months, while 16% reported an improvement.
By comparison, 48% of workers said the job market had improved and 23% said it had worsened.
Both groups were more optimistic than pessimistic about the year ahead. The results show 32% of employers expected the business climate to improve, compared with 15% who expected it to deteriorate.
Workers expressed greater confidence. A majority -- 57% -- expected the job market to improve during the next 12 months, while 16% anticipated worsening conditions.
The research examined how tariffs, skills shortages, geopolitical tensions and labour mobility barriers are affecting hiring and employment in Alberta.
Ipsos surveyed 419 Alberta employers involved in hiring or supervising skilled workers by telephone and online from Feb. 11 to April 6, 2026. A separate online survey collected responses from 511 Alberta skilled workers between Jan. 30 and Feb. 10, 2026.
